Running in Circles Without You
by Crimson Beauty911
Summary: A new Naraku incarnation, The watching eyes of a driven dead priestess, And a lusty love swelling in the hanyou's heart. The plans have been made, the death of the gang has been planned, and Inuyasha is falling right into line as his feelings grow.
1. Summary

_

..:He smiles, she smiles. She lives to make him laugh and smile as if they were normal people, not on a mission, not on a job. She wants to see him happy, even if his life of happiness doesn't involve her in it. But, with that thought, she still knows she wants to feel his arms around her, feel him smiling against her lips. But she doesn't say so. None of them do. The silent fights go on: Want me. Love me. Take me. Kiss me. Hate her. Hold me. Don't let go. Then things went horribly wrong. When the inu tachi group's little vacation days get interrupted by a, new, deadly enemy, they have to make room for something else. A way to not lose each other. Hiding seems to be the only way, something Inuyasha would never be caught doing. But a week in Kagome's realm, leaving the slayer and monk behind, to shake off the enemy doesn't seem too bad, right? When a few days of relaxation and opening up to each other start to pass along, the horrors follow them like a rain cloud. Their enemy has proved to be stronger than he seemed at first. But what kind of demon uses lust and love to rip apart a group, sending them to their deaths of heartbreak? It follows them, watches them, never leaves them alone for two seconds. And the full moon is just around the bend. He wants her. He knows it. But he can't hold back for much longer. How can they win this impossible challenge when fate just isn't on their side:.. 

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-Warnings: Intense fluff…and other things. Bloody angst, dark and depressing situations, mild language, extreme violence, and hilarious bits to bring tears to your eyes! 

**


	2. Prologue

Running In Circles Without You

An Inuyasha Story

_Hearts are torn, eyes are opened_

_Prologue_

_Funny. Strange. Interesting, how a single kiss, or even just a mere glance could confuse so much, jumble everything into nothing, break what was once called un-breakable. With the time that unfolds, you might lose that person who gave that heart startling gaze, who carelessly planted that kiss upon those lips as a scene to deceive. You take love for granted, like most people do breathing and caring about the blood in their veins, like it'll always be there for you to pick up and just use, not even bothering to think that it may be gone the next day._

_It's like the crimson blood that races through those long, blue veins. Coursing through the body, keeping you energetic, smiling, alive. But if you ever got a tiny cut and that vital blood began to seep out, do you care? Don't bother to care for what you have, or what others have. You willingly hurt people and watch them bleed, knowing they will eventually heal and only a tiny scar will remain to haunt them of the horrors. But what to do when they bleed so much, and all blood is drained. The person aches, becomes pale and sickly. Eventually, dies. Who's fault is it now? When you didn't care at all to see the blood and now that person is gone._

_And when that person who has been deceiving, finds their own blood drained from their body, flowing from that fault that your other lover created, they regret it all._

_People absolutely need blood, like they need love to survive. But you wound the one you love in the heart, watch them bleed, watch the love drain._

_What if that love is toyed with and injured by more than one being? And what if those who are toying with others are just being toyed with, themselves. A circle. Just a circle of cheated love. But only if time could rewind and everyone could just start over and be with the ones they knew they loved._

_Bet you want to take it all back now, Inuyasha. And the jewel is almost complete. If only time could rewind. Too bad the world doesn't quite work that way…_


	3. A Pointless Day

'KAY!

So. This is where it all begins...

Hm.

Wow. Dazed here. Okay. Just as a warning, this is SUCKS...at the beginning. I wrote it two years ago when I had NO writing skills. At all. So bear with me! Please, it get's better, I promise.

For now, squint at the little letters and try to PRETEND like it's good. Gets so much better, for sure.

And. Since this is the first Chapterola...Just wanted to say that this thing has a few parts in it where...sadly...I've noticed are already in the series. Well. Not entirly. I mean, it's not EXACTLY the same, like I copied it word for word. In fact, I didn't even KNOW it was in the series until after I typed it up or had it in the plot. Which sucks. Alot. But try to pretend. Please? I'm just as mad as you are. I tried my best on this thing so don't go jumping all over my back that I copywrited. Because I didn't. I just haven't finished the series yet and haven't seen all the movies yet.

Oi!

Now, I know you're dying to read it...so here goes.

**Chapter 1**

Discolored leaves of brown, red, and orange fluttered from cluttered branches. Small leaves that had been pushed aside by the others as they grew crisp and dry and loose from it's twig that bound it to the rest of the tree. They trickled down, swaying in the mild breeze, and a few finally dropped into the clear, sparkling lake.

Tiny ripples sent forth from the disturbance only to collide with even bigger ripples that shattered the look of the placid lake, distorting the reflection of the sky and trees hovering above.

Nevertheless, the lake would be beautiful even with it's distorted reflection. One reflection that lied to all was a lake's, any sort of water's. They didn't show what the water looked like from the other side, like a person's reflection would. The reflection showed what the water saw from the water's point of view. Just like a mirror.

Who couldn't resist jumping into their own reflection, wanting to be on the other side just to watch things pass by and show others what you see without having to say a single word. Kagome. Kagome Higurashi, a happy girl who sat at the lakeside, her right hand scribbling feverishly across the thick art book paper. She was content, so very content about her life, her reflection. She wanted to be her and no one else. Or so it seemed.

She flicked her wrist, making short strikes across the page to create a furry looking effect around two dog ears.

"Whatcha drawing, Kagome?" Sango asked as she swam around in the crystalline lake water, Miroku close behind her.

"Nothing…just doodling…" Kagome replied, smiling down at her work of art.

'It looks like him.' She thought, triumphantly and closed her art book and set it aside. She had started drawing in that art book a few months before.

"MIROKU! YOU LECHEROUS LITTLE-!" Sango screamed as the sound of water sloshing drowned out the sound of terrified gasps and angry grunts.

Sango raised an open palm. Her usually calm and sensitive features were twisted in rage and disgust as she slammed her hand across Miroku's bare cheek. A bright pink hand-print left red-handed proof of what Miroku had done.

"You really _do _have a groping problem, _don't _you, Miroku?" Kagome said, trying not to giggle as she stood and walked over to the edge of the lake in her conservative blue one-piece bathing suit.

" It's the hand, I swear! It's possessed by a demon!" Miroku claimed unconvincingly as he raised his hand out of the water and made the motion as if he were groping some girl, as he always did.

"You're a _horrible _liar!" Sango yelled back, lunging herself at Miroku and sending a wave of water into his face. Sango wore a bright green one-piece suit that had once been Kagome's. She had lent it to her for the summer.

Kagome continued to stand by the edge, letting the cold water momentarily touch her toes when the water lapped in and out as Miroku and Sango sloshed and fooled around in the water. She brought her toes out and shivered. It was too cold for Kagome's sensitive skin.

"AIIIEEEEEEE!" Kagome's startling scream rang out through the area as two clawed hands wrapped around her waist and lifted her, roughly, from the ground. The one who held her cackled and tossed her into the dark and freezing water.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome sputtered as she reached the surface again. She would know his cackling laugh anywhere.

"Yo, Miroku! Said it a thousand times, You're hand is defiantly possessed but ain't by a demon!" The arrogant hanyou shouted over to the monk who was deep in conversation with Sango. He looked over at Inuyasha Takashi and shot him a disapproving frown. Inuyasha found this funny. He continued to laugh and point at Kagome who bobbed up and down in the water, shivering.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome sputtered again, spitting lake water from her mouth to utter a few dreaded words that made the hanyou's ears perk up and twitch cautiously. "SIT, BOY!"

"ACK!" Inuyasha shouted as the purple beads around his neck began to glow bright. His happy face turned into a look of terror as he tipped forward and his face suddenly plunged into the cold water. It was Kagome's turn to laugh now. She giggled wildly.

"Damn it, Kagome! I wish you would stop doing that!" Inuyasha cried as he pulled himself, hacking up a storm. He coughed roughly as he tried to coax the water that swam in his lungs now.

His silvery-white hair that framed his face, soaked and sticking to the sides of his face, his tufty bangs matted to his forehead. Sango and Miroku laughed at the result of the hanyou getting 'sat' once again. Though it was always to be expected, it caught each and every one of them by surprise every time. Even Kagome was surprised at how much a natural reaction it had become.

The monk and demon-slayer were soon back into conversation, laughing and smiling. Odd looks were sent over by the other pair as Inuyasha, a pointed finger in his ear, tried to scoop the water out as he tilted his head to help. It was a miracle he didn't rip something in there.

"Hey, It looks like Miroku and Sango are having a _grand _ol' time over there..." Inuyasha grumbled, trying to push his matted hair out of his face, giving up on trying to rid of the water that clouded his hearing. His dark red kimono was drenched to the deepest thread and weighed the half-demon down.

"I told you, Inuyasha! I think a little _love _connection is going on over there!" Kagome said, smiling and floating over to Inuyasha's side so she could talk in a low whisper to him. She was still shivering.

"You say that _every _time they talk together like that." Inuyasha said, getting over the fact that that dreadful command had just been used on him for the first time that day.

"Yeah-well…oh, never mind! You are so clueless…" She said, teasingly. "I just hate to see two people who are really great for each other not together because they're too stupid and clueless to do anything about it…" She added, her cheeks turning a slight red.

Inuyasha didn't smile. He didn't get it at all. He knew she was just teasing with him but he didn't really liked being teased, though, oddly, He felt that he could contently listen to Kagome's high, teasing voice as she purposely tried to momentarily hurt his pride. He had become used to it and almost felt empty without it. He knew he had grown to care for the girl, as much as he hated to admit it, as much as he tried not to. She had pried her way into his life without even trying. Just a talent she seemed to have. Or maybe it was just destiny.

Kagome rubbed the white, fluffy towel in her hair as Inuyasha crouched at her side, shaking wildly and flinging droplets of the freezing water back onto Kagome. Her school uniform that she had just dressed into was suddenly soaked.

"Hey! Watch where you shake!" She said and started to giggle at how weird it had sounded. Surprisingly, she could hear a chuckle come from Inuyasha as he stood and looked at her.

'This is one of his good days' Kagome thought, smiling back at him. She hadn't realized how long she had been looking at him until the hanyou suddenly spoke.

"What are _you _looking at?" Inuyasha said, his brows furrowing.

'So much for that.' Kagome thought, shaking her head. Her soaked black hair whipped around her head.

Inuyasha grunted and looked down.

"No! You're wrong! There is no way that Inuyasha and Kagome are-…" Miroku shouted as him and Sango wandered into the hut. Miroku was wearing a pair of purple swim trunks that had been Kagome's fathers. The deep line down the monk's torso showed just how fit and irresistible his muscular body was.

Neither Kagome or Inuyasha had any idea of the conversation between the monk and slayer.

"Inuyasha and Kagome, _what?_" Inuyasha asked, stuffing his arms into the opposite sleeves of his soaked kimono. His face was serious as he tried to pry the information from the two.

"Well- Sango says that-" Miroku started but a harsh blow to the side cut his speech short.

"Oh, nothing…" Sango covered, pulling her elbow away from Miroku's side.

"Ow…" Miroku said in an exasperated voice he buckled over, holding his side.

Sango smiled guiltily as her cheeks turned red. She was more guilty of what she had been talking about than what she had done to Miroku.

"Keh! Yeah, right….It was somethin, I can tell. Whatever it was, it's not true! You're a buncha' liars!" Inuyasha said as he turned and walked over to the farthest wall of Kaede's hut.

"You don't even know what they were talking about, don't get on _their _case!" Kagome defended, turning to Inuyasha with an angry expression.

"How are you gonna defend them! They were just gossiping about you!" Inuyasha said, leaning forward and pointing an accusing finger to Sango and Miroku.

"I _doubt _they were talking _bad _about us, so just chill out, would'ja, Inuyasha?" Kagome screamed back, both their tempers on the brink of failure.

"Oh, _shut up!_" Inuyasha cried, rolling his eyes.

"Here we go again…" Miroku sighed, looking to the ceiling and holding his staff tightly. He had recovered quickly.

"This is so pointless…" Sango added, watching the two fight non-stop.

"Tell me about it…" Said a squeaky voice as a small figure hopped onto Sango's shoulder.

"Oh! Shippo! Where have you been? I was wondering what happened to you and Kirara!" Sango asked in a rather questioning and curious tone.

"Kirara, Me, and Kaede went out to gather food." Shippo said over-enthusiastically.

"But I thought Kagome made us some food from her time." Sango said, glancing over at Kagome but knew that there was no way she was going to get an answer out of her at the moment.

"Nah. I asked her this morning. All she has is Ramen. No offense or anything but I'm really getting tired of having ramen three times a day every day!" Shippo cried over the screaming of Kagome and Inuyasha, perhaps a little too loud.

"Ramen! Where! Kagome, did you bring ramen!" Inuyasha asked, cutting away from their long argument.

"STOP GETTING OFF SUBJECT! SIT, BOY!" Kagome cried, obviously over-raged as her hands were balled into fists at her sides and her knees were locked as she leaned forward to yell at the stubborn half-breed.

"AGH!" Inuyasha yelped as his face slammed into the wooden floor.

"Strike number one!" Shippo called, holding up one finger.

"Two…" Sango corrected quietly.

"Wow. Two already? What a doofus. Kay. Strike number two!" Shippo tried again, lifting another finger.

Inuyasha let out a menacing growl from the depth of his throat as he pushed himself up off the floor and stormed over to Shippo.

"Shut up, whelp!" He muttered and cracked a fist down on the top of the tiny fox demon's head.

He moaned and fell from Sango's shoulder, holding the bump on his head.

"SIT!" Kagome screamed.

'He really shouldn't hit Shippo like that…he's only a kid!' She thought as she, once again, watched Inuyasha's face hit the floor.


	4. Breakfast With Hojou

...This one isn't my best either. I'll letcha know when I picked up on the detailed, pretty, discriptive, and all around GOOD writing.

**Chapter 2**

"Bye, guys!" Kagome shouted over her shoulder, to her companions. She raised a hand to wave goodbye as she lifted her huge, yellow backpack onto her shoulders.

"Bye, Kagome! Come back soon!" Miroku called back. All of them waved. Except for Inuyasha. He bounded towards Kagome.

"No way! You just got back! At this rate we'll never get all the Shikon Jewel shards!" Inuyasha yelled, easily catching up with Kagome.

He grabbed the small handle of the top of the backpack and lifted Kagome off the ground.

"Mmmmmm…." Kagome moaned and looked straight ahead

"LEMME GO!" She screamed, struggling to free herself from Inuyasha's firm grip.

"No way! Are you crazy! You didn't even come back for more than a day! We didn't get _any _shards this time!" He shouted back, holding tight and refusing to let go.

"Inuyasha…I HAVE TO GO HOME! I HAVE A HUGE TEST COMING UP! I HAVE TO STUDY FOR SCHOOL OR I'LL FAIL! ALL YOU CAN THINK ABOUT IS THE JEWEL SHARDS, JEWEL SHARDS, JEWEL SHARDS! WHAT ABOUT MY SCHOOL? WHAT ABOUT MY EDUCATION!" Kagome screamed, kicking her legs wildly.

"NUH-UH! I DON'T CARE ABOUT THIS "SCHOOL" YOU KEEP HAVING TO GO TO! YOU'RE GONNA STAY HERE!" Inuyasha screamed, still holding Kagome in the air.

"SIT! SIT, SIT, SIT!" Kagome yelled, her entire face red as a beet.

Inuyasha danced on his feet, trying not to fall flat on his already dirt smudged face. Unfortunately for him, the four sit commands were far too strong to allow him to stand. He dropped Kagome to the ground. She landed perfectly on her feet and just kept walking without looking back as Inuyasha's face was plowed four inches into the ground.

"Wow…that's number…" Shippo stopped to count on his fingers. "Number 5!" He exclaimed.

"He'll never learn…" Miroku said, shaking his head while staring at Kagome who walked off into the distance.

"MOM! I'M HOME!" Kagome called as she pulled herself over the rim of the well in her family's shrine. She rushed up the steps and threw open the door. She raced through the yard and slipped inside the sliding door to her house. She stopped at the entrance room and slipped out of her shoes and quickly pulled on a pair of house slippers.

"Mom? Souta! Grandpa!" She called, confused.

She cautiously walked through the seemingly empty house. Nothing but the sound of her house slippers scraping against the tiled kitchen floor.

"Kagome!" Mrs. Higurashi cried, rushing into the kitchen and rubbing a big yellow towel on her short, wet, dark brown hair.

"Oh! Hello mama!" Kagome cried, startled by her mom's sudden entrance.

"Sorry! I just got out of the shower." Mrs. Higurashi said, lowering the towel and stepping up to Kagome.

"Did you have a good time with Inuyasha and the others?" She asked cheerfully.

"Sorta…" Kagome muttered, rolling her eyes. "You know how Inuyasha is…"

Kagome's mom nodded, a faint smile on her face as Buyo trotted into the room.

"Buyo! I haven't seen you in forever! Come here, boy!" Kagome said, lifting the calico into her arms.

"Whoa! You've been getting fatter!" She cried, trying to hold the animal in her arms without dropping him because of the massive weight.

"So…where's Souta and Grandpa?" Kagome asked, dropping the fat cat back onto the ground. He let out a soft meow and slunk off to eat more from his food bowl.

"Your Grandfather took Souta out fishing." Kagome's mom said, walking over to Kagome and wrapping her into a hug.

"Mama…" Kagome said, hugging her mom back. She could tell that her mother gets worried every time she goes back in time to see Inuyasha.

"I'll be here to stay for awhile…I…I'm here…" She assured her mom, patting her back awkwardly.

"Yes…yes…alright, are you hungry?" Her mom asked, pulling away and walking over to the cupboard to pull find something to eat.

"Yeah! Starving! And _so _sick of ramen!" Kagome cried, setting her backpack down on the dinner table and pulling out a chair. She sat herself down and looked back at her mom, her thoughts mainly on her test that was coming up.

"Okay…How about some Onigiri?" Mrs. Higurashi asked. She pulled out a rice pack and a package of dried nori seaweed. Obviously, she knew the answer.

"Sounds great, mom!" Kagome replied enthusiastically.

"Why don't you go take your stuff to your room while I make you your dinner." Kagome's mom said in her low, flowing voice.

"Kay!" Kagome replied, jumping up and grabbed the yellow sack. She ran into her room and dropped her bag onto her light brown wooden desk.

"Home again, home again…" She said cheerfully and flopped down onto her pink bed and pushed her face into her big, light pink pillow with lacing at the edges.

"Wow! I've been away half of a day and I've already forgotten how my pillow feels!" Kagome exclaimed, sitting up and slipping out of her house shoes as Buyo wandered into the room, meowing for Kagome's attention.

"Hey, Buyo!" She said and pat the cat as it jumped up onto the bed.

Kagome quietly looked around. Her walls, painted a deep sea blue, seemed to glow as the light from the metal, blue flower, antic lamp on her beside table spread across the room. Now that the miko had the time to think about it, the gleaming walls were even hinted with a twinge of purple and pink. She had never noticed that before.

"Hm." She muttered, wondering what else she could find different about her room since the last time she had been there.

Not much at all. The huge, rippled, purple curtains were pulled aside and the sliding window beside her bed was open, letting in chilling gusts of wind. A rolling chair, complete with a cushioned back and lacy pink seat, was shoved under the polished wooden desk that sat just across the room from the silken, pink bed. An orange pocketed wall hanging was hung to the wall, holding inside useful items like pencils, markers, paper, erasers, and scissors. Stacks and stacks of books and homework sat on the table with a small desk lamp that loomed over the unfinished work. Beside the desk was a small, baby blue, make-up counter with a mirror over it. A hairbrush was laid out on the top, alone with Kagome's Strawberry and Sakura Blossom perfume that she wore all the time. A blue bean bag was stuffed under the desk, proving a comfy place to sit. A square bulletin board was tacked above the headpiece of her bed. Only a calendar set to December was pinned to the cork board. The only other piece of art that hung on the wall was the picture that was hung before her desk that she would change from time to time, leaving her room pretty sterile and clean. Her dressing was fixed into her wall on the wall that the long-side of her bed was pressed to. It really was a nifty place to keep her cloths.

Kagome stood from her bed, feeling a tiny shiver creep up her spine. Quickly, she bounced over to shut the sliding window. She wrapped her slender arms around herself and sighed gently.

"Wow! I'm actually getting cold in the summer time! I guess it's leaning more towards fall now." She said to herself and walked over to her bed once more to climb upon it and tug open the doors to her in-wall closet. She searched for something to change into, tired of the scratchy and dirty material of her school uniform. She quickly pulled out a yellow tank top and a purple skirt, much like her green school one.

"SIS! YOU HOME!" Kagome heard Souta's voice ring out through the halls.

A few seconds later, Souta burst into Kagome's room, an excited look on his face.

"Thanks for knocking…" Kagome said scornfully as she tossed the tank top and skirt onto the bed.

"You're home already! Wow! I expected you to be gone longer!" He said, running up to Kagome.

"Yeah…There wasn't much to do there so I just swam for awhile and came back. Besides, I have to study for my test that's coming up." Kagome said, ruffling Souta's hair with one hand.

"Now, _out! _I have to change for dinner!" She ordered, pointing to the door.

Souta grumbled something and ran out the door and to his room, leaving his sister chuckling at his obedience as she scooped up her clothes with a smile.

A few minute's later, Kagome stepped into the kitchen, dressed in the clothes that she had picked out.

"Looks like I'll be making more Onigiri than I thought!" Kagome's mom exclaimed as she pulled more rice, seaweed, and katsuobushi out of the cupboard and set it on the counter to set to work for more food.

"Kagomeee!" Grandpa yelled, hobbling over to his grand-daughter.

"Hojou came by yesterday and asked for me to give you this!" He said, pulling a small box wrapped in shining silver paper.

"Oh…wow. Thanks, Grandpa…" Kagome's said, knowing she would hardly appreciate the gift that Hojou gave her. Still, he was a nice boy.

"Don't thank me! Thank that nice boy, Hojou!"

'He's got the wrong idea about me. I don't really like him in that way! He really tries to hard. But I really don't want to hurt his feelings! He's such a sweet boy.' She thought, unwrapping the present and threw out a fake gasp of surprise. It was some kind of foot massager. Kagome set it on the table and quickly sat down.

"You know, you should really give that boy a call sometime! He left his phone number!" Grandpa suggested, obviously coming to like the regular visitor.

"Maybe. Maybe I'll call him tomorrow.." Kagome said, thinking nothing of it and waiting eagerly for her food to finish.

"KAGOME! PHONE! IT'S HOJOU!" Kagome's Grandfather called from the hallway, startling Kagome from her studying.

'Hojou?' Kagome thought as she forced her eyes away from her math book. She pushed her chair away and jogged down the stairs at a slow pace, careful not to jostle her stomach too much, dinner having finished but a few hours before, and she wasn't too eager to chat with Hojou at the moment. But nevertheless, the polite miko skipped into the hallway where she took the phone from her grandpa.

"Hojou?" She asked, bringing the phone to her ear.

"Kagome? Is that you? How are you feeling? Has your mumbalidous cured yet?" Came Hojou's voice at the other end.

Kagome's eyes lids dropped in annoyance.

Grandpa…' She thought, irritated at the weird diseases he was making up to all of Kagome's friends. She was surprised that she was still shocked by some of the most odd sounding things he came up with.

"Yeah, I'm pretty much all better now. So, is that all you wanted?" Kagome asked, jut itching to get off the phone and start on her studying again. She had plenty of time to talk to Hojou at school, now was supposed to be her time to herself.

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go out to breakfast with me, tomorrow?" He asked, cutting straight to the point. "Unless…you need more rest?" He added politely. Kagome knew she couldn't turn him down.

"Alright…That sounds…okay…What time?" Kagome asked, still very unsure about going out on a date with Hojou. Her last one, a couple of months ago, had been cut short because she had to go back to the feudal realm to see Inuyasha again. She had missed him so much and knew she didn't feel right with Hojou. She didn't feel for Hojou what she felt for Inuyasha.

'But what _do _I feel for Inuyasha? It's still pretty cloudy…but I'm sure I'm in-' She thought before Hojou's voice shattered her drifting thoughts and pried her mind back.

"Oh! What? Sorry, I missed that." She said, hurriedly.

"I said, we could meet at the pancake house just down the street!" Hojou repeated, not losing his temper with her lack of attention.

'Inuyasha would have…he would have yelled at me for not paying attention to him….' She thought.

"Alright…I'll see you then, Hojou! I should get my rest now…Thanks for calling!" She cried, mildly happy that a sweet boy had called her. "Oh! And thanks for the foot massage!" She said, not waiting for his reply before she hung up the phone and ran back to her room.


	5. It Was Only A Kiss

Oh. Wow...yeah...This chapter STILL isn't very good. My god.

I promise, it gets better. Trust me...I'm very disappointed in this thing.

At least the beginning of it. BEAR WITH ME!

**Chapter 3**

"Kagome! Kagome!" Hojou cried, trying to get Kagome's attention as he waved his arms in the air and pushed passed the huge crowd of people to get to Kagome who was dressed in the same yellow tank top and short purple skirt as yesterday.

"Hey! Sorry! I didn't see you over all these people. Who knew this place was so popular!" Kagome said, running up to Hojou.

"Yeah, I had no idea!" Hojou replied, smiling gleefully. "We…could go somewhere else?" He offered.

"Oh no, no! It's okay! This place is nice, I've never had breakfast here before…it should be cool!" Kagome said, motioning with her arms thrashing in an X over her chest as she shook her head from side to side, wildly.

Hojou nodded and led Kagome over to an empty table outside the pancake house. The white, plastic table was shielded by a red and white striped umbrella.

"I'm so glad that you were actually able to come this time!" Hojou exclaimed, pulling out a chair for Kagome.

"Yeah!" Kagome said, sitting down. She didn't know what else to say.

Hojou walked over and pulled out his own chair and sat himself down. He pulled up his menu and began to search through it, his eyes moving rapidly from side to side. Kagome sat, staring at the back of the menu and then realized that she needed to look at one too if she expected to get any food.

'I always forget to look at the menu! I don't know why! It's like I'm just expecting to sit and stare into space!' She thought, picking up her menu and opening it. She found nothing to her liking.

"Is there anything on here that you can eat?" Hojou asked, suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"I thought mumbalidous made you have a high allergic reaction to some foods…That's what your grandfather told me over the phone, when I asked you to come eat dinner with me last Friday." Hojou explained.

Kagome's irritation for her grandpa grew with each of Hojou's words.

'Grandpa…' She thought, annoyed. 'He's _got _to stop making up these weirdo, freak sicknesses!' She thought.

"Oh…yeah…I'm sure there's _something _on here that I can choke down!" Kagome said in an enthusiastic but cautious voice.

Hojou laughed behind his menu.

"Hey! Are you two ready to order?" A preppy looking girl said in a peppy voice.

"Could we have a few more minutes, please?" Hojou said politely and looked back at Kagome. "Unless Kagome is ready to order." He added.

Kagome shook her head 'no' and the waitress walked away.

"Excuse me, Kagome. I'll be right back." Hojou said, quickly getting up and jogging towards the men's room. Kagome chuckled lightly and set her chin in her hand.

'He's not so bad…he's actually pretty sweet…unlike Inuyasha.' She thought and then shook her head disapprovingly. 'I'm thinking about Inuyasha again! Why can't I just be completely in _my _era for awhile?'

"Kagome!" Yelled a high voice.

'Wha? Why is everyone calling my name lately! Am I going crazy or am I really that popular?' Kagome thought, looking around.

"Ayumi! Yuka! Eri!" Kagome called back as she spotted her three friends running towards her.

"Kagome!" All three of them shouted at once as they crowded around the round, white, plastic, table.

"We saw you with Hojou! Are you going out with him now! What about that over-possessive, two-timing, violent boy-friend of yours!" Eri asked in a rushed tone.

"Oh…he's…he said we should see other people…" Kagome said, quickly thinking up with a reply. "And why do you call him that? He's really not _that _bad! You make him sound so horrible!"

"Kagome! You're telling us that you think he's all good and dandy? Listen to all the stories you've told us about him!" Yuka said, bumping in.

"I don't know what you see in that guy! Hojou is totally perfect for you!" Eri said, lightly pushing Yuka out of the way. Ayumi stood back a little, listening to the conversation but not wanting to butt in like her two other friends. Ayumi was always kind of shy and maybe even a little slow.

"You guys…" Kagome protested, finding nothing to say.

"How is your mumbalidous coming, Kagome?" Ayumi asked as there was an awkward silence. Kagome's cheeks flushed.

"Yeah! Your grandpa told us about that! What does mumbalidous do to people anyways? I've never heard of it…come to think of it, I've never heard of a bunch of the sicknesses you end up with!" Eri cried. Eri was always the assertive, quick talking, rushed, hyper one. Yuka was almost a copy.

"Well...uh…" Kagome started, not able to find an excuse.

"Ah! Hojou's coming!" Ayumi cut in to warn her friends.

"Oh! We'll see you later, Kagome! Bye!" Eri said as she waved and took off with the others.

'Nice timing, Hojou.' She thought with a smile as she watched the three jog off down the street, towards their houses. Kagome's attention turned back to Hojou as he sat down in front of her.

"Hey! Sorry. Did the waitress come back yet?" Hojou asked as he scooted himself closer to the table and looked deeply into Kagome's eyes.

"No…but I think that's her right there!" Kagome said, motioning with her eyes towards the preppy waitress coming their way with two glasses of water.

"Are you ready to order yet?" The waitress asked, setting down the waters in front of Hojou and Kagome. Hojou turned around in his seat to look at the waitress.

"I'll have some eggs and bacon, please…and…Kagome?" Hojou asked, turning to look at her.

"I'll just have some pancakes." Kagome replied, not really finding anything to her liking. "Is that alright?" She added.

"It _is _called the pancake house, _isn't _it." The waitress said good naturedly as she scribbled the order down on a pad. She quickly walked away and Hojou returned his complete attention to her.

'Maybe this isn't such a good idea. I should be studying…and Inuyasha needs me in the feudal realm…' Kagome thought.

After a few minutes of waiting and small talk, the waitress returned with the food and set it in front of them.

"So…Kagome…I've been wondering." Hojou said, turning his face up to look into Kagome's eyes. He was always so polite.

"Yeah?" Kagome asked, hardly listening. Her thoughts were on Inuyasha. She had used the sit command on him so many times before she left. Oddly, she wondered if he was okay.

"The prom is coming up…would you do me the honor of going with me?" Hojou asked in his same, light, calm, polite voice.

Kagome lifted her face to look at Hojou. Her eyes sparkled. She had been waiting for someone to ask her all year. Somehow, she knew that she would end up with Hojou.

"Yeah! Sure! I'd love to, Hojou!" Kagome replied in the most enthusiastic voice that she had used all night.

After that, there was a few minutes of silence. Not much to say between them.

"Is there something wrong with your food?" Hojou asked suddenly, seeing that Kagome was only poking her fork into the pancake.

"I'm just not that hungry, that's all." She replied, looking up at him. "Listen…Hojou, I'm really sorry and I've had a great time but I just don't feel very good…I think I should be getting home…" Kagome said in a low voice. She always seemed to blow Hojou off some way or another.

"I understand, Kagome! You need your rest to overcome your mumbalidous! I'll walk you home." Hojou said, understandingly. He always forgave her for ditching him at the last minute.

"Thanks, Hojou…" Kagome said, standing up and walking over to where Hojou sat, finishing up a few bites before he stood and began to walk Kagome back to her house.

"Here we are, Kagome…I hope you feel better!" Hojou said as he led Kagome up to the arching gate over the Higurashi's property.

"Thanks…sorry about leaving so soon…" Kagome said, avoiding Hojou's gaze.

"No need. I just wish I could do more for you." The polite, handsome boy replied.

A warm summer breeze rustled the green leaves on the huge, blossoming tree that stood beside the Higurashi house. Kagome's eyes settled on it and she was filled with thoughts, thoughts of Inuyasha. After all, that had been the tree that he was pinned to for fifty years and if it hadn't been for Kagome, he'd still be there now. He'd still be pinned to that tree, his silky white hair thrashing in the wind, the thick vines wrapped around his pale and limp body.

Without realizing it, she had taken hold of Hojou's hands. She held them so tightly that her hands ached.

"Oh…sorry…" She whispered, dropping them quickly and turning her face away as her cheeks flushed.

Kagome's eyes traveled around her backyard, avoiding Hojou's but somehow they wandered back and connected with his. They stared at each other for so long that it seemed like hours.

Hojou started to lean forward. Kagome stared at him, not yet catching on to the deep look in Hojou's eyes as he inched his way closer to Kagome.

"Ho…jou?" She asked as Hojou slipped a warm hand onto the back of her neck and brought her lips to his.

She could hear her own heartbeat as she allowed Hojou to come so close. Close enough to kiss. Close enough to kill.

Their eyes closed in pure bliss as their lips touched. Kagome didn't pull away. All thoughts of Inuyasha had long disappeared as she moved her lips over Hojou's.


	6. Bloodshot Eyes

Freaky ending to the last one, eh?

Well, here goes this one. Sorry it's so short...

**Chapter 4**

Inuyasha's pale hands appeared over the rim of The Bone-Eater's Well. Their fingers with elongated claw-like nails. Small grunts echoed through the emptiness of the shrine as the hanyou perched himself on the inside of the well wall.

"Alright, Kagome, you've been gone long enough!" He said, hurling himself over the edge and landing on his feet on the unfurnished wood floor.

Inuyasha crept up the stairs, a red baseball cap pulled over his small dog-like ears to create somewhat of an illusion that he was human.

He slid open the doors to the shrine and launched himself out into the light. A slight grin was pasted on Inuyasha's face as he darted across the lawn, heading towards Kagome's bedroom window. Suddenly, Inuyasha's feet slid to a stop on the dry grass as he caught sight of the scene playing out under the black, metal arch that led to the Higurashi estate.

"Ka…Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered to himself as he watched Kagome and Hojou kiss each other in sweet bliss.

His head lowered slightly, causing his feathered bangs and the hat to hang over his amber eyes and cast a shadow over his features. The summer winds made his large, red kimono sleeves to thrash around his pale wrists. Now they nearly concealed most of his pale hands, their fingers with elongated claw-like nails curled slightly in defeat before they suddenly clenched and his chin raised, his eyes bloodshot.

Was it, perhaps, that he was jealous of Hojou. At that moment he really wanted to kill the boy. He wanted to kill him for kissing Kagome.

A low growl gurgled from his throat as he tried to keep himself from slamming Hojou into the ground.

'I don't care…she can do whatever she feels like…here…with him…' Inuyasha thought as he turned his back to the two and darted back to the shrine.


	7. Smiles, Ramen, and Fake Dog Ears

Poor Inu...but...WHY ARE THEY SO SHORT?

-breath-

Okay, Okay...Sooorrryyyy...

And these things better start getting better before I chew my own bottom lip off...

--

**Chapter 5**

Kagome's eyes opened slightly and saw the one person she wanted to be here the least.

'Inuyasha…' She thought guiltily as she pulled away from Hojou.

"I don't want to give you my mumbalidous…" Kagome said, thinking up an excuse to end the kiss.

'He saw everything…Inuyasha saw me kissing Hojou. He must feel so hurt…or jealous…I don't want to start a whole other situation with like Kouga's again.' Kagome thought, backing away from Hojou and up the steps to her house.

She wanted to shout the poor hanyou's name, run after him, do anything but just walk back inside and pretend like nothing had happened. She knew she couldn't. She knew she had to protect his identity.

"Good bye, Kagome! I'll see you at school!…That is…if you'll be there?" Hojou asked, raising a hand to wave at her. He seemed so gleeful after he kissed her.

"I'll try to be there!" Kagome called over her shoulder as she walked to her house.

Stepping inside and kicking her shoes off, she wondered what Inuyasha thought of her now. He shouldn't have had to see that. He had gotten so jealous when Kouga had confessed his love to her…but he hadn't kissed her like Hojou had.

Kagome trudged to her room, deep in thought of what next action to take.

'What do I do…I know if I go back, he'll just reject me…but I can't just avoid him!' Kagome thought, closing her bedroom door behind her. She walked over to her desk and unzipped her bright yellow book bag. She hadn't moved it since she had came home the other day. She reached in and pulled out her art book. She plopped down in the pink wheelie chair at her desk and began to flip through the book. It was nearly full with drawings. Kagome held that book close to her. She brought it with her every time she went to the feudal realm yet none of her friends knew about it. She'd rather keep it that way.

Believe it or not, Kagome couldn't think up one comforting word to say to Inuyasha. What _was _there to say when someone witnesses something like that. 'Sorry' just wouldn't cut it…and Inuyasha was a tough guy to get through to. It had taken so long just to get him to call Kagome by 'Kagome' instead of 'girl'.

Kagome raised a pale hand to her throat and held onto the tiny bottle around her neck that contained three sparkling jewel shards.

Suddenly, a low growl rumbled through the room. It was faint but Kagome could hear it. She looked around frantically.

'Is Inuyasha here? Did he come back to yell at me for kissing Hojou?' She wondered.

"Oh…it's just my stomach!" Kagome said aloud as she realized that the grumbling was coming from her stomach.

"I must be hungrier than I thought…well…I didn't eat anything at the pancake house and I hardly ate any dinner last night either." She said, walking into the kitchen to get something to eat.

She groaned as she pulled open the fridge and realized that there was nothing decent to eat.

"GUESS I'M GOING TO THE STORE! BYE, MAMA!" Kagome yelled, hoping her mom could here her from inside her bedroom.

Kagome jogged back to her room and grabbed her long strapped, blue pocket book. She ran back through the house and slipped her sandals on and then darted out the door to go to the local food mart.

Kagome dropped random cans into her cart, not really paying attention to what she threw in and hardly caring. She was lost in thought again. How would she make it up to Inuyasha? Then her thoughts drifted to herself, the pleasure of kissing Hojou. It was the first time that a boy had kissed her.

She stopped, something catching her eye. She turned her face slightly to look at the rows and rows of packaged ramen. Tears almost filled her eyes.

'Ramen will cheer Inuyasha up!' She thought, dumping an armful of ramen into her cart. She quickly hurried to the checkout line when, again, something caught Kagome's eye. A pair of black dog ears on a headband stuck out of the magazine rack. Someone must have just set it there and walked away. Perhaps a young child had begged their parents for it but was only turned down and forced to put it back.

Kagome quickly snatched it up and rubbed her fingers over the dark fake fur on the ears.

'This is perfect! It will defiantly cheer Inuyasha up!' She thought, setting the headband into her cart and pushing it forward in line.


	8. He Doesn't Care

WHOOO!

-pumps fists-

A somewhat long chapter!

And still no creative writing...Hmmm...maybe I'm just modest. Am I just modest? I'm feelin' lonely. Someone gimme a reveiw. I need encouragement...

**Chapter 6**

Kagome pulled herself over the edge of the well, her yellow backpack hanging over one shoulder, the black ears perched upon her head. She didn't wait to look around for Inuyasha. She knew he wouldn't be hanging around the well for her.

'He's probably off sulking somewhere.' She thought, situating her backpack on her shoulder a little better before she took off into the woods. She didn't know why, but every time she went into that forest, she had such a strange feeling. She couldn't explain it. Perhaps a very strong feeling that she had been there before. But she had. She had been there tons of times. Perhaps it was the fact that Inuyasha had been pinned to the sacred tree in that very same forest.

Kagome knew that path well. She was heading to Kaede's village. She couldn't be sure that that was where Inuyasha would be. She couldn't be sure if he had took off again or if he was fighting a demon somewhere or even if he was lying dead somewhere. These thoughts saddened Kagome. Suddenly, her deep brown eyes were filled with tears. She cared deeply for Inuyasha and she could tell that she really hurt him this time.

She continued to run, her sandals padding against the dirt and grass. She hadn't changed from her yellow tank top and short purple skirt. She had gone straight to the store and then straight to the well.

A strange sensation formed in the pit of Kagome's stomach as she started to get close to the old sacred tree. She slowed her pace as she came upon it.

She stopped, her head lowered. She closed her eyes. She knew she was standing right in front of it now. She was suddenly filled with such sadness.

"Kagome?" Said a calm but clearly troubled deep voice.

Kagome gasped and opened her eyes. She looked up at him.

Inuyasha leaned up against the old tree, his silvery white hair slightly blowing in the wind. His eyes were closed. His thin, black brows were angled inward, showing that he was in troubled thought. About what? Kagome could only guess.

"What are you doing here?" He asked sternly his eyes remaining closed.

"Inuyasha…hey…I came back because…I know you saw me." She said as gently and cheery as she could as she walked up to the jealous hanyou.

She stood in front of him, her cheeks red as she remembered the pleasant kiss.

"What of it…I don't care…" He said, stubbornly, his arms stuffed into the opposite sides of his huge red kimono sleeves.

"Oh, yes you do! Look at you! Your still moping around about it!" Kagome cried, trying to make him realize how much he really did care.

Inuyasha hesitated to reply as his eyes slowly opened. They widened directly after as they peered at the black dog ears on Kagome's head. His mouth dropped. Clearly he didn't understand that you could buy those kinds of things in Kagome's time.

"Kagome! Your head! You have- What have you done!" Inuyasha cried, jumping away from the tree to examine Kagome's ears. She just laughed.

"Inuyasha…" She muttered, raising a hand to rub the left dog ear between her fingers.

"Have you been a demon this whole time! What have you done to yourself! I can't believe this!" Inuyasha shouted, his eyes wide and his neck craned forward to look at the ears upon Kagome's head. Kagome giggled.

"No! Inuyasha, calm down! They're fake!" She said, trying to talk through her constant laughter. "You can buy these kinds of things!" She added as she pulled the headband off her head.

Inuyasha's head jerked back but his eyes stayed wide.

'Had he really been that worried about me?' Kagome wondered as Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. His attitude had returned.

"That's stupid…I never fell for it…It's so obvious…" Inuyasha lied, his face turned up to the air. He leaned back against the tree, the foot of his left leg pressed against the trunk.

"Inuyasha…." Kagome said in a soft and sympathetic voice. She rubbed the fake black ears between her fingers and sighed quietly.

Inuyasha had put his anger and jealousy aside to show concern for Kagome but he was also so angry to find that she had been a demon, though it was only a fake.

'It's a start…' Kagome thought, smiling somewhat.

"What do you want?" Inuyasha asked flatly. He was in no good mood. It seemed as though Kagome had really hurt him.

"I…uh…brought you some ramen." Kagome said as she lowered the backpack from her shoulder. It dropped to the ground with a slight crunching sound.

"I'm not hungry…" Inuyasha replied coldly.

'That's a first.' Kagome thought rather scornfully. She was trying desperately to cheer him up but he rejected her. Couldn't he see how hard she was trying?

"Well…" Kagome muttered, suddenly angry with him. She really hadn't meant to hurt his feelings. She hadn't meant for him to see. She hadn't even meant to kiss Hojou. It just happened.

"My prom is coming up and I don't want you coming back for me until it's over! I've been waiting all year for this so don't mess it up for me, alright!" Kagome cried, her hands balling into fists at her side. She had tried and tried and now she was tired. She wasn't going to try to cheer him up anymore. It was best for him to just get over it on his own anyway.

"You mean that stupid dance thing that you bring a date to that you keep yapping about?" Inuyasha asked in an emotionless voice, as if he didn't really care at all and just wanted to make a rude remark.

"Yeah…" Kagome replied, letting her fingers uncurl.

"You bringin' that Hobo guy?" Inuyasha asked, his face turning to the left and staring off into the distance.

"It's Hojou, and yes…He asked me to go with him." Kagome said, her fingers curling again yet she wasn't as offended anymore. She took pity on the half demon. He didn't need to see what he had seen.

"Inuyasha.." Kagome whispered after receiving no reply. She really didn't know what to say. She had never been in this situation before. She had only had one kiss before that one. It was with Inuyasha. Kagome had kissed Inuyasha to bring him back from his demon side that was going to take over his body forever.

'I love you. I love you as a half demon.' She had said. Then she had kissed him. And then Inuyasha woke up. He held her there for awhile and told her that he would stay a half demon for a little while longer…just for her. The truth was that Kagome didn't want Inuyasha to turn full demon...ever…she wanted him there with her for eternity…even as they stood there now, angry at each other.

"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I CARE SO MUCH, HUH, KAGOME? 'CAUSE I DON'T! I DON'T CARE!" Inuyasha screamed so suddenly.

Kagome jumped, stumbled backwards. She hadn't expected him to burst out like he had. She was mildly frightened as she caught her balance and looked up at Inuyasha's beet red face.

"I'm sorry…it's just…" Kagome started, raising up a finger and setting it on her chin. She hadn't meant for him to get so angry.

"Well…I'm leaving now! Don't you dare come after me!" She finished off in a stern voice.

She turned and broke off into a run towards the valley with the Bone Eater's Well. Tears had welled up in Kagome's eyes. She had forgotten about her backpack…and about what it held within.

"Wasn't plannin' on it…" Inuyasha retorted, quietly, when he was sure that the mortal girl was gone.

His eyes lowered to the bulging backpack that lay on it's side on the forest floor. His white ears twitched in curiosity. He had always wondered what Kagome brought in her backpack other than tons of ramen for him.

'That's right…she always brings ramen for me…' He thought, his eyes finally starting to soften somewhat.

Perhaps he was being a little to harsh on her. Inuyasha had always been stubborn and cold, but he usually didn't burst out at Kagome like that. Well…he did…but not speaking the words he just had. He had said that he didn't care that she had kissed Hojou because…well…had Kagome taken it that Inuyasha meant that he didn't care for her?

He dropped his foot from the trunk of the tree and let his arms fall to their sides.

'Should I?' He wondered, stepping over to it. He surely wouldn't go after Kagome. She had done this so many times before that Inuyasha had just learned to not go after her…like he would ever show that he cared that much about her to run back and apologize. That was simply out of his character.

'Hell….Why not!' He thought and snatched up the huge bag. Curiosity coursed through him, urging him to tear open the buttoned flap that covered the opening.

Before he knew it, the contents of the bag lay scattered over the grass. Inuyasha quickly sifted through the assortments of gum, clear lip gloss, eyeliner, mascara, and quite a few pencils. He picked up a small glass bottle filled with pink tinted liquid. He brought it to his nose and sniffed it.

'This is Kagome's scent…Strawberries and Sakura Blossoms…' He thought to himself, making distance between himself and the strong smelling perfume. It smelled wonderful to him, it always did. Especially with this scent and Kagome's natural scent mixed together. He could never get enough of that sweet smell even though he had told the girl so many times that he couldn't stand her scent. He lied every time he said that. That scent was the first sign of Kagome that he caught when she came through The Bone Eater's well and he cherished every inhale of breathe he took.

He set it back and picked out a long tub-like thing with colored paper covering it. Inuyasha raised a brow and brought it closer.

"Tampax Pearl?" He read aloud, so clueless to what he held.

"What the…"

He tossed the item aside and looked back to the nearly-flat yellow bag. It still held something inside.

Inuyasha, the curiosity returning, unzipped the front pocket and pulled out a notebook. Kagome's art book.

"Hey! Here's this thing that Kagome keeps drawing in…" Inuyasha said aloud, unable to keep himself from opening the art book.

Kagome always held that book close. Inuyasha had tried to peek at it several times but Kagome had always caught him and the hanyou had always received a sit command. He had to know what was inside, what that mischievous girl drew that she was so set on him not seeing.

He threw back the cover to the book and his golden colored eyes widened at the sight before his eyes.


	9. Holding Hands Drawn Of Ink

Riiiight. Dunno WHAT I was thinking when I made all these teeny tiny chapters.

Eh.

Shorti.

Whooo... -throws confetti-

Don't trip (inside joke)

-snort-

**Chapter 7**

"It…it's me…" Inuyasha uttered aloud as he scanned over the page.

It was him.

His eyes were closed and his head hung low, his bangs shadowed his un-naturally pale features. Deeply sketched vines wound around his body, an arrow in his heart.

Kagome had drawn Inuyasha pinned to a tree.

Inuyasha quickly flipped the page. His eyes remained wide as he glanced down at the drawn picture of himself wielding his Tessaiga. His hair was swept to the side and his eyes were defiant.

Inuyasha had to admit…it looked just like him.

The next picture showed the half-demon leaning against the wooden wall of Kaede's hut. He had a smirk on his face, as he always did. He flipped the page. A picture of him battling his brother, Sesshomaru. Next, was a picture of him as he slept.

Inuyasha stared at the drawing for quite some time. It was unrealistic, this one.

He was lying on the floor with his eyes closed,hisred fire rate haoridraped over him. He never slept laying down. He always slept leaning against the wall so he could jump up easily if anyone were to attack. But what was most strange…was that his hand was stretched out, near his face…and another's hand held to his…squeezed it lovingly…Inuyasha could tell it was meant to be Kagome's hand.

He closed the book. He'd seen enough.

'She…really…does this mean that Kagome…' He stopped, dismissing the thoughts by a quick shake of the head.

Inuyasha jumped up and peered back towards the well. He'd let her cool off for awhile…but he would go back for her. If she cared enough about him and admired him enough to draw amazing pictures of him then he should at least have the courtesy to attempt to cheer her up from her upset state.


	10. Hanyou In A Tux

Hm. Is this a bit of semi good writing, I see?

Oh. No...just a speck on my glasses.

Kidding.

I don't even HAVE glasses.

Willus, what you talkin' bout.

Well, Have fun with this chapter!

**Chapter 8**

Souta stared down at his notebook paper.  
'15 more questions to go!' he told himself eagerly as he glanced back at his math textbook. Mama had said that he couldn't go see his friends until he had finished his homework. They had invited him to their house to play a new video game that they had gotten. Souta was anxious. He had been waiting to play that game ever since it came out at $50. He sat at the kitchen table, staring so intently, hardly able to concentrate on the work.  
"Where's Kagome!" Came a sudden and vaguely irritated voice. Kagome's big yellow bag dropped onto the table.  
"AGH!" Cried the surprised elementary school boy as he jumped and toppled right out of his chair and onto the tiled floor.  
"Inuyasha!" He exclaimed, staring up and the half-demon who stood over him, his arms crossed over his chest.  
"Yeah, yeah, so where is she?" Inuyasha asked again, getting more irritated by the second.  
"Uh...she, uh, went to the prom..." Souta said, not moving from his position on the floor. His heart was still beating rapidly.  
"Alone..." He added, a strange look in his eye. It seemed as though Souta had been trying to hook the two up for quite some time now. Perhaps it was that this boy looked up to Inuyasha so much, admired him so much, that he actually liked idea of Inuyasha becoming his "big brother".  
Inuyasha bent low and grasped Souta but the back of the shirt and lifted him into the air. He brought his face close to Souta's and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.  
"...What do you mean, alone?" He asked, his mouth small and his eyes narrowed.  
"I thought she went with that hobo guy." He added, his expression never changing.  
Souta hung there, rather used to how Inuyasha treated him. He kind of liked it, at least somewhat. It was even a little fun being lifted around and such by him.  
"You mean Hojou? No! He got sick at the last minute and couldn't go!" Souta informed, wiggling a little.  
"Feh! I knew he'd bail on her some day!" Inuyasha said, dropping Souta to his feet.  
"Yeah...You know...you could...well...my mom has a suit in her closet that used to be our father's..." Souta said in a cautious voice. He knew about Inuyasha's short temper to offending suggestions.  
The hanyou stared curiously at Kagome's younger brother.  
"What you gettin' at?" He asked, his eyes narrowed again and his arms crossed over his chest as before.  
"Well..." Souta said, giving Inuyasha an odd look that pretty much told it all.  
"NO WAY! UNH-UH AM I GOIN' OUT THERE AND-"

----------

"See! I think you look cool!" Souta exclaimed, admiring Inuyasha in the mirror.  
Inuyasha wriggled uncomfortably in the tight, light gray suit.  
"It's too small!" He complained, trying to loosen the suit somewhat.  
"AND WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? IT'S CHOKING ME!" He complained again, tugging at the bright red tie that was secured tightly around his neck.  
"It's a tie! You'll get used to it, don't worry!" Souta assured him, smiling greatly.  
"I can't believe this..." Inuyasha grumbled, his cheeks a little pink.  
"Don't worry! Kagome's gonna love this!" Souta shouted, happily.  
'That's right...I came here to cheer up Kagome...But also to get her to come back to the feudal realm.' Inuyasha thought as he stared at his reflection. He thought he looked rather silly...which he did...The suit was awfully tight, a result of Inuyasha being more muscular than the one who originally owned the suit.  
"Ain't I 'sposed to dance at this prom thing?" Inuyasha asked, dreading the answer.  
"Well...Yeah...but...I could teach you-" Souta was soon interrupted by Inuyasha's sudden outburst.  
"YOU MEAN, NOT ONLY DO I HAVE TO WEAR THESE STUPID CLOTHES, BUT I GOTTA DANCE AROUND IN FRONT OF A BUNCH OF FREAKS, TOO?" He exclaimed.  
'This just keeps gettin' worse and worse...' He told himself, frowning into the mirror.  
'Well, Inuyasha, boy...you'll never live this down...'


	11. Modern Prom And Without A Date

Oh! -silent scream- A good, long, detailed chapter? 'Tis it be? You tell me.

Heh. That rhymed.

**Chapter 9**

Tears streamed down Kagome's pink colored cheeks as she stood in the middle of the dance floor. Couples swirled around her, hand in hand, smiles on their perfectly happy looking faces. So happy to be there in the arms of the ones who actually cared. Kagome wanted to be happy. She wanted to be happy like the other girls, with their pretty, sparkling gowns and perfectly made up faces and hair.  
'I guess I did catch your mumbalidous after all, Kagome!' Hojou had said.  
Kagome wept silently. She didn't bother to hide her tears. She knew that everyone was too caught up in their dance to notice her dateless self anyway. No one would care about those silent tears that streaking her cheeks in lines of black.  
Kagome was dressed in a breathtaking ivory, backless, strapless dress. Lacy vines ran down the left side of the dress. It made her think of Inuyasha. How he had been pinned to the sacred tree and vines wrapped around his limp body.  
The throbbing rhythm of "My Will" beat at Kagome's temples. A slow song. Now all the girls lay their heads on their date's shoulders and closed their eyes. The guys held them tightly in their grip like if they let go, the fragile ladies would float away with the beat of the song. But they had those caring boys to hold them down. Who did Kagome have to keep her down to Earth? No one. The song could carry her away and no one would ever notice.  
Kagome's eyeliner and mascara was streaked down her face. Her lips were pale pink. Very pale, mostly just gloss. A dab of blue eye shadow was streaked across her eye lids. She didn't need any foundation or even any blush. She always had such beautiful skin and natural rosy cheeks. Her hair, black as pitch, was curled and tied up in strange bun on the top of her head. Two Japanese sticks poked from each side of her hair. She looked beautiful that evening...even with her make up running.  
She had tried to look for Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi but with no luck. They always showed up at the worst times...this...would actually be a good time for them to show up. Kagome just wanted to be comforted. She just wanted to dance with someone on her big day even if it had to be her best friend and not a date.  
Her head hung low. A couple bumped into her. She cried harder.  
Slowly, Kagome's eyes raised to the entrance. She didn't know why she kept doing that. She knew Hojou wasn't going to suddenly show up. She just hoped. Always an optimist.  
The door opened and Kagome's heart jumped. It took her a few seconds to recognize the face of the guy walking towards her. He wore the faded light blue bandana she gave him, wrapped over the top of his head.  
Kagome couldn't speak as he stepped up to her, his golden irises trembling. He took her hand, his cheeks were bright red out of obligation and embarrassment.  
"Inuyasha..." She whispered, her voice cracking.  
'Her make up is running...she was crying.' Inuyasha thought, looking deep into her bloodshot eyes.  
He didn't know why he was doing this. He wanted to turn back but knew it was too late.  
"You...came after me..." Kagome choked out, a faint smile upon her face.  
"Yeah...what'd you expect! That hobo guy?" Inuyasha muttered, holding Kagome's hand gently.  
"It's Hojou..." She whispered and quickly fell against him, her free arm wrapping around his back.  
'This isn't like him...doing this for me...' Kagome thought, her cheek pressed against his chest. She could feel his muscles through the tux. She recognized the suit. It was her father's. Mama had kept all Mr. Higurashi's clothes. She couldn't bear to part with them and lose her memory of her loving husband.  
"Yeah whatever...Just play along, alright...I'm only doing this so you won't look like a dateless fool when you go back to school..." Inuyasha said, quickly thinking up an excuse to not seem so soft. "Besides…I had nothing better to do."

"Who…Did you do this by yourself" Kagome asked, her voice a choked rasp, a result of crying so much.

"No way! It was all Souta's idea!" Inuyasha cried, rather loud, but remained gentle with Kagome.

"I can't believe he talked you into it." Kagome said, burying her face into Inuyasha's chest.

"…Neither can I…" He replied in a whisper.  
Out of curiosity, Inuyasha pulled the sticks from Kagome's curled hair. Locks of silky black hair tumbled onto Kagome's bare shoulders. The sticks clattered to the floor and Kagome showed no sign of even caring that her hair had been let down. She felt more comfortable.  
Slowly, Inuyasha's free arm wrapped around Kagome's small waist and his chin rested upon the top of her head. Her hair was still damp from the shower she had taken before coming.  
He held her so gently, not harshly and tightly as the other couples did.  
'He's being so gentle...He's never been this gentle before.' Kagome thought, so many thoughts racing through her mind. So many feelings.

Inuyasha looked straight ahead and struggled to move in a small circle while holding Kagome with protective yet gentle arms. He didn't know how to dance but he tried for Kagome.  
It was clear that his mind was somewhere else. His amber eyes were distant. He just couldn't push the pictures that Kagome had drawn of him, out of his mind. Was it an obsession...or an admiration? Seeing Kagome, now, and knowing her for a year and a few months, he concluded that he just inspired her. Not an obsession. Not a deep love.  
Many others stared at his silver hair as not many people had hair like him. He had taken the time to cover his dog ears with the blue bandana.  
The half-demon's fingertips lightly brushed over the exposed skin on Kagome's back. She shuddered but felt completely safe and comfortable.  
Kagome even felt more comfortable with Inuyasha than she would have with Hojou. Now she was kind of glad that Hojou got sick.


	12. Spying On Them

-chews chapter apart-

Evil peice of crap...

Hope ya like it anyways...

The good chapters are coming up. I PROMISE!

**Chapter 10**

Hours had passed and Inuyasha and Kagome danced to a fast song called "I Want To Change The World".  
Inuyasha had gotten somewhat better at dancing, but hardly.  
Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi stood close behind, huddled together and staring intently at Inuyasha.  
"Hey...That's not Hojou!" Ayumi exclaimed, pointing to Inuyasha.  
Yuka shoved Ayumi's hand away.  
"It's not nice to point!" She teased.  
"I think that's Inuyasha! Kagome's two-timing boyfriend!" Eri shouted.  
"Shh! Keep your voice down, Eri! They might hear us!" Yuka instructed.  
"YEAH! THAT'S HIM!" Ayumi screamed.  
"Ayumi!" Eri and Yuka said at the same time in hushed voices. "They'll hear you!"  
"But...-HEY!" Ayumi cried as she was dragged away by her two friends.

-----------

"Let's go, Kagome...It's late..." Inuyasha said, finally stopping his dance. He had lost track of time...though Inuyasha wasn't good with time. It was about 10:20 and everyone was still there. It was like these people never slept.  
"All right..." Kagome agreed, truly not wanting to leave. She didn't want to break the tender moment between them and she knew her resisting would do the trick.  
Inuyasha dropped Kagome's hand that he had been holding for some time now. His cheeks were red again.  
He turned quickly and pushed through the crowd, towards the exit. Kagome followed close behind  
A blast of cold air greeted them as Inuyasha thrust open the door.  
"Wow! Fall already! It seems like just yesterday we were swimming in the lake in the feudal realm!" Kagome said, wrapping herself in a hug and rubbing her bare arms as she shivered.  
Inuyasha glanced back at his mortal friend, seeing her shiver. He would have given her his kimono shirt if he had it with him.  
"Well...It'll be warmer back at Kaede's hut." He said, stepping out of the school and onto the concrete balcony type thing. Steps off to the side led down to the ground and into the parking lot. Kagome's bright pink bike was locked securely in the bike rack.  
"Hey! Wait a minute! I can't go back yet, I-..." Kagome stopped. She would ruin it. She stepped forward and took Inuyasha's hand. His claws lightly scraped her skin but not by much. Both their cheeks turned red and they looked away from each other.  
Kagome would go back to the feudal realm with Inuyasha. She had a test coming up but so what...it's not like she would be able to concentrate on studying for it anyway. They would miss the calling of the Prom King and Queen. But that's okay. It's not like they would win anyway.


	13. Kikyou's Sick Plans

I actually think this is an 'ok' chapter. As in, it's one of the better ones.

We're gettin' there!

Yeaaaah. So, If anyone's reading this...they'd have to have stuck through it all and bore through it! Yay! Congrats! You deserve a medal, you really do.

But most of all, thanks SO much. This IS my first story, after all.

**Chapter 11**

The crunching of dead, fallen leaves could faintly be made out over the soft chirping of the birds as a woman walked through the forest of a foreign village. She wore red kimono pants and a white kimono shirt. Her jet black hair was tied in a loose pony tail.  
Kikyou.  
The miko's brown eyes were set upon the trail ahead of her. She was alert to every sound around her, it was harder for her to sense things. She was merely a human. Or was a human. The priestess was dead.  
"Kikyou...Still alive?" A voice echoed through the dense forest, dripping with his own sick humor.  
The miko's footsteps stopped as she peered around. She knew the dark voice well. Wind was sent forth from the depths of the forest. It twisted around Kikyou's body of clay.  
"Naraku..." She murmured, angered that he dare come to her.  
"What do you want?" She demanded, her bow and arrows clenched in her left fist.  
"Merely to help you..." He said, his voice hushed.  
Kikyou peered around through the darkness but couldn't catch a glimpse of the demon. It seemed as though his voice was coming at every place at once.  
"I do not need the help of a hanyou." Kikyou stated firmly, her voice shaking somewhat. She felt hatred for Naraku. She felt hatred for him and for the other hanyou. The half dog demon. Inuyasha. He thought she loves him, still. What a foolish creature. He had no idea Kikyou plans to drive him into the depths of Hell.  
"Ah, but how will you pursue this any further? Without a plan of action? You are too eager." Naraku said, his voice a low rasp.  
Kikyou didn't speak. Her eyes stared straight ahead, no longer looking for the evil demon. She had no plan and perhaps she did need help.  
'I can not kill Inuyasha alone...not with that wench, Kagome, clinging to him...she'll ruin everything!' She thought, her eyes shimmering in the dark.  
"I will help you...if you bring to me, the Shikon Jewel Shards that the mortal possesses." Naraku offered.  
He stepped from the shade of a large oak tree. He wore the skin of a white baboon. The ends of it frayed out and thrashed the open air though there was no wind.  
"Again, I say, I do not need your help, Onigumo!" Kikyou cried, stubbornly.  
"But I think you do...What was your plan of action, Kikyou...how did you plan to rid of Kagome and Inuyasha?" He said, his voice low. It could make full grown warrior whimper in fear. But Kikyou had nothing to fear, nothing to lose. After all, she was already dead.  
'How did he know...how could he have known that was my plan!' The deceased priestess thought.  
"Your hesitation proves otherwise...I need your assistance and you need mine." He said, not waiting for a reply from the shocked Miko.  
Finally, she parted her lips to speak. She would regret it, but she needed the help from someone powerful, more powerful than her. She couldn't do it alone.  
"What...do you have in mind."


	14. His World Falls Apart

Hmmm...Okay. Went from good, to this again.

Well. Sad...HUGE...chapter, just as a heads up before you read!

Don't forget to give a little review. Just to let me know you read it! I'd just like to know that my hard worked story isn't a complete bust.

**Chapter 12**

"HURRY UP, KAGOME!" The impatient hanyou called back to Kagome as he bounded towards the village, Kagome's pink bike over his shoulder.  
"I'M TRYING! YOU COULD BE A LITTLE MORE PATIENT, YOU KNOW!" She yelled back at him as she struggled to catch up.  
She stumbled in her prom dress and her yellow backpack nearly fell off her shoulder. Inuyasha had changed back into his deep red kimono before they had left, not about to be caught dead in a tux.  
'Why didn't I change before I left?' She asked herself, regretting wearing it here.  
"Feh! Whatever..." Inuyasha said, smirking.  
"Hey! I'm going as fast as I can!" Kagome yelled to him, finally catching up.  
"Get a move on it!" He said darting off again.  
'Well...so much for the deep, gentle, Inuyasha at the dance...' Kagome thought to herself, watching him race off into the distance.  
She thought of it again, how Inuyasha held her so gently, as if he held her as tightly as the others did to their dates...she would simply snap like a twig or shatter like a piece of weak porcelain.

--------

"Wow! Kagome-Chan, that dress!" Sango exclaimed as Kagome entered the hut dressed in the stunning ivory dress.  
"Yes! It's my prom dress! I wanted to show it to you so I came dressed in it!" She said, glancing at Inuyasha.  
'No...they don't need to know...' She thought, her cheeks turning a light pink. She seemed to blush a lot lately.  
She dropped her bag by the doorway.  
"Yeah, well...I think it just slows you down! You took long enough coming back here!" Inuyasha said. He had sat down on the floor of the hut, leaning against the wall. He pulled in one leg and kept the other in Indian style. The elongated fingernails of his right hand tapped furiously on his kneecap. He always fidgeted when something was on his mind.  
"Let me see!" Sango said, motioning for Kagome to sit by her.  
"It really is beautiful, Kagome!" Shippo cried, hopping onto her shoulder from the floor, next to Sango.  
"Mm-hmm..." Miroku commented from beside Sango, a bit dazed. Even if he wasn't really interested in Kagome, he couldn't shake the fact that Kagome looked so breath taking.  
Sango shot him a cold glance.  
"Oh! It's silk!" Sango said as Kagome knelt next to Sango. She edged towards the small fire that was set in the middle of the room, it's orange flames flicking up towards the ceiling and casting a fiery glow upon everyone inside the hut.  
Kirara mewed quietly as she trotted in from outside and settled herself in Sango's lap. Her crimson eyes flicked around the room, gazing upon everyone.  
"Yeah. It was a ton to buy but it was totally worth it!" Kagome said, leaning over to pat the tiny kit's head.  
Shippo leapt from Sango's shoulder and landed on the floor, next to Kagome. He stroked the silken dress with a dazed expression.  
Kagome giggled softly and turned her gaze to the fire.  
"Where's Kaede?" Kagome asked just as the grass weaving that covered the doorway was pushed aside.  
"Don't worry, Kagome, I be right here." The old miko said, stepping into the hut.  
"I was just gatherin' some food for ye." She added, dropping a basket of bread and vegetables by Kagome.  
"Might I say that that dress ye are wearing is quite stunning!" Kaede said, nodding her head as if agreeing with herself.  
"Thank you!" Kagome cried, her cheeks pink again.  
'All this attention!' She thought gleefully.  
She stared straight into the middle of the warm fire and brought her hands up to warm them. She suddenly felt as if someone was watching her. She first suspected Miroku. He never could resist a good looking girl. She turned to glare at him but he was turned to Sango, smiling faintly. Kagome's gaze then turned to Inuyasha. He sat, his fingers still and his ears forward. He could probably hear her breathing. He stared intently into her eyes, gazed so deeply that Kagome felt the hair on her arms and the back of her neck stand straight up.  
Suddenly, his eyes widened as he realized that she was staring back at him. He immediately switched his gaze to the side, away from Kagome. His fingers tapped rapidly on his knee again.  
She could feel herself blushing again.  
'Why was he staring at me like that?' She wondered, looking back to the fire so she didn't seem so suspicious.

-------------

"Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered, her eyes wide as her half demon companion leaned in closer. His fingertips brushed across her cheek.  
"Shhh..." He hushed her, taking her hand and placing it against his chest.  
Kagome gasped lightly. What was happening. She felt numb, she could barely feel Inuyasha's nails scrape lightly across the skin on her cheek.  
Closer, closer, until their noses touched at the sides. Inuyasha's eyes closed but Kagome's stayed wide open, staring at the hanyou as he placed his lips on hers. It was clear how surprised she was. What was happening? Why? Why was he kissing her? Why was she liking it?  
"Kagome." He uttered her name as their lips departed for only a moment before they were pressed together once more in a long and passionate kiss.

-----------

"Kagome..." He said again. "Kagome..."  
"INUYASHA!" Kagome cried, immediately sitting upright  
"Hey! Keep it down!" Inuyasha said in a hushed voice. His ears twitched as he stood over Kagome and peered out the doorway, his eyes narrowed.  
"Was it...a dream?" Kagome asked herself aloud, completely ignoring Inuyasha's order to keep quiet. She touched her cheek softly. She had felt him touching her. Did it really happen? It felt so real. Was it possible….  
"What?- Shut up for a minute, Kagome!" Inuyasha said, inching towards the doorway.  
Kagome watched him carefully. He was sensing something that Kagome could not. A demon, perhaps? Her mind wasn't on that at the moment.  
'It was just a dream.' She told herself. 'But it felt so real...I could barely feel Inuyasha's hands on me...'  
"What...What is it?" She stammered, somewhat afraid of the answer. She was awfully tired and not in the mood for a fight.  
"It's...Do you smell that?" He said, his eyes widening.  
"What do you mean? No..." She replied, climbing out of her sleeping back and crawling over to Inuyasha.  
"THAT'S NARAKU SCENT!" The inu half demon cried, no longer bothering to stay hushed as he darted out the door, nearly ripping the grass weaving down with him.

Kirara hissed as she was awoken. The tiny kit jumped from Sango's warm arms and transformed into her youkai form in a burst of flame. She hissed again, surprised and angry from being awoken, and sensing Naraku as well. She waited by Sango for her to mount her.

Sango and Miroku sat up, rubbing their eyes.

Miroku yawned, Sango jumped up and grabbed the strap of the massive Hiraikotsu and slung it across her shoulder.

Kaede's dark eyes opened to stare at the ceiling above her. She did not speak. It was as if the old woman knew what was to come.

The small fox demon who had been sleeping soundly on a haystack, raised his head and rubbed the sleep from his teal colored eyes.

"Huh, wha- what's going on?" He asked in a sleep clogged voice.

Kagome jumped up, her eyes wide.

'Could it really be Naraku? Is this really our chance to kill him?' She wondered as she grabbed up her bow and arrows and threw aside the grass weaving and bounded after Inuyasha.

"INU- AH! INUYAHSA!" Kagome screamed, tripping over a fallen branch but regaining her balance before she toppled over.

The hanyou raced through the village and into the dense forest. He was running rampant. Nothing could stop the half demon now, not when he was blinded by hate and anger.

"INUYASHA, STOP! INUYA-. . ." Kagome's frantic calls ceased as she gazed upon the hanyou standing in front of a strange looking demon.

Pure, glossy, white eyes with no pupils stared at Inuyasha through slits. Long white hair flowed freely about his head. Nothing like Inuyasha's beautiful, silvery-white hair. This hair was course and chalk white, of an elder's hair. Claw-like hands jutted from pale wrists dressed in black cuffs. His muscular frame was clothed in a form fitting white outfit. A black sash hug around his waist. His skin was almost as chalk white at his hair and eyes, slightly pinker. Black boots, pointed at the tips, covered his feet.

"Heh heh heh. . ." The demon chuckled, his thin lips parting slightly and revealing pearly white teeth.

He blinked, but not any human blink. Lenses from the inside of his eye lids parted and sank into the left and right sides of his eyes, revealing cat-like irises. Just jet black slits down the middle of his eye.

Inuyasha stood before him, one fist clenched, the other on the hilt of the Tessaiga.

'He reeks of Naraku!' He thought, unsheathing his father's fang.

It's blunt and cracked blade shot forth and widened into the full power Tessaiga. The fur before the hilt danced around, tickled the half demon's hand.

"You are too eager, half-breed." The demon rasped, his voice so similar to Naraku's that it very well could have been made of his own vocal cords.

The huffing of an exhausted man and woman, tinkling of metal against metal, and footsteps running towards the three could be heard in the distance.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku called, his sandals sliding across the dry dirt as he struggled to stop without running in front of the unfamiliar demon.

Sango was close at his side, her boomerang-like weapon slung across her shoulder. Shippo was not far behind.

"SHUT UP! WHO ARE YOU ANYWAY? ARE YOU ANOTHER DETATCHMENT OF THAT BASTARD, NARAKU!" Inuyasha screamed, more of accusing than asking.

"Why are you so eager to know? Who says I was searching for a fight? Now, now, what if I just wanted a nice chat?" The demon said, his voice so menacing.

"Get 'im, Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled from several yards away.

"Doubt it…" Inuyasha snapped, glaring coldly at the demon and letting out low growl.

"I…am Sanraku…" The demon said, his white eyes narrowing.

'Could it really be? Naraku has made _another _demon out of himself?' Miroku thought, stepping forward to aid his friend.

Sango held onto his shoulder, held him back from them.

"Hold on…" She said, her voice low.

Miroku was confused by the demon slayer's actions but said nothing. Needless to say, he trusted her. He trusted all of his companions.

"HEY, GUYS!" Shippo called, bounding towards them on all fours.

All heads whipped towards him and he stopped immediately to whimper in fear.

"And who are they? Your companions? Your _friends? _And, oh look…A mortal? Quite a pretty face. Is she your lover?"Sanraku asked, teasing Inuyasha purposely.

He was just waiting for the impatient hanyou to attack.

"SHUT _UP!" _Inuyasha screamed.

Anger burned inside of him, formed a lump in his throat that he just couldn't swallow down. His whole body pulsed with hate as he lunged forward and swung his Tessaiga at Sanraku's throat.

Sanraku cackled evilly as a sudden sharp 'zing' sound rang out through the forest. Inuyasha slid backwards, his bare feet dragging in the ground as he struggled to hold onto the deflected Tessaiga.

"He…He has a barrier!" Inuyasha said, amazed, as he stared down at his vibrating sword.

"You lowly half-breed…You cannot touch me!" Sanraku shouted, swinging forth and sending six lashes of shocking light towards him.

"What!" Inuyasha cried as he darted away, narrowly dodging the attack.

'That's Naraku's power…' He thought, determining who this demon really was.

"No problem! I'll just use my red Tessaiga!" He cried out, a devilish smile crossing his features as he rose his sword high above his head.

The wind whistled and blew violently as slow, red patches began to form over the sword's smooth, silvery blade.

"See ya later, dirt bag!"

Light moved forth from the Tessaiga's red blade. All eyes were wide and watching with mentally crossed fingers as the attack collided with Sanraku's barrier.

"Heh. And I thought this guy was gonna be stronger…" Inuyasha bragged, letting down his father's fang with a large, relieved sigh, hidden from the others.

"I-Inuyasha! Watch out!" Kagome screamed, her voice so terror filled that Inuyasha just knew it had to be something bad. His eyes shot to Sanraku but he didn't have a chance to see the angered demon before bolts of shocking light raced at him.

"Damn!" He shouted, jumping back, out of the way. A trickle of crimson blood ran down the hanyou's neck but he could hardly feel the pain.

"It…It didn't work!" He exclaimed, his eyes widening at the sight of the pinkish barrier that glowed brightly, as if taunting him of his failure.

'That stupid barrier…how can I penetrate it?' Inuyasha wondered, his amber eyes darting around for anything, anything at all that could help him.

Nearby, was a big boulder jutting from the ground. He raced over to it and jumped, pushing off of it and lunging at Sanraku, his Tessuiga raised.

Any sensible being would have stopped trying to defeat their enemy in a way that they were immune to. Inuyasha was no sensible being. He would try and try again.

Again, he was thrown back, the Tessuiga had been thrown from his grasp.

"No! He's going to be killed! We have to do something!" Kagome cried, turning to Miroku, Kirara, Shippo, and Miroku for help.

"Yes. He needs us." Sango said, taking the Hiraikotsu from over her shoulder and running towards them, Miroku behind her.

Sango let out a furious battle cry as she heaved the boomerang-like weapon at Sanraku. All it took was one look and the wave of his hand and the weapon came flying back at Sango.

"SANGO!" Miroku cried as he saw the Haraikotsu coming their way. He rushed to Sango, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her to the ground with him.

The weapon crashed into a tree behind them.

Miroku lay over Sango, their noses nearly touching. Miroku grinned softly and Sango, perhaps, took it in the wrong way.

"GET OFF ME, I'M FINE!" She screamed, shoving the monk away.

"What'd I do! I just saved your life and that's the thanks I get?" Miroku replied, nearly forgetting about the battle in front of them.

"JUST FORGET ABOUT IT, WOULD YA, AND HELP ME!" Inuyasha screamed to them just as Sanraku's human sized, clawed hands transformed into five, long, sharp, steel stakes. He hadn't even seen it coming. He was too busy reaching for the Tessaiga as the stakes rushed for his chest.

Miroku grunted and swirled around, unraveling the white beads from around his hand and letting the flap that covered his palm fall aside. The gaping hole in the middle of Miroku's palm began to draw in everything in it's path, rapidly.

A loud buzzing echoed through the forest as huge bee-like bugs emerged from behind Sanraku.

"Ah!" The monk cried, pulling his hand away and wrapping it back in the beads. He knew that if he sucked in even one of the poisonous insects that he would be deadly poisoned.

"Naraku's insects! That _is _Naraku's new detachment!" Sango cried, staring at the spikes that were nearing Inuyasha's chest. She knew they had to do something but all of them just stood there, frozen in fear.

"No…" Kagome whispered, tears nearly filling her eyes. She scrambled to get her arrow in her bow and pull back with all her strength. She wasn't about to let Inuyasha die.

"HEY! LOOK AT _ME! _" She cried, pulling the arrow back further and suddenly letting go.

The arrow flew forth and struck Sanraku in the shoulder. It had somehow gone through his barrier.

"Yes!" She whispered as Sanraku cried out in pain and thrust his steel claws away from Inuyasha. The hanyou's eyes shot to Kagome in a look of pure terror. He knew what came next.

Sanraku swung his huge hand at Kagome, black blood spilling from the wound in his shoulder.

Kagome uttered a pained sound as the side of the claws slammed into her side and sent her flying through the air and leaving her bow and arrows behind.

She crashed into the rock that Inuyasha had used earlier to jump off of. Her head cracked against the boulder and her chocolate brown eyes rolled back into her head. She sank to the ground, unmoving, as the claws were pulled away from the girl's limp body.

"Aw…such a pity…" He said in a mocking voice as he turned his eyes over to Inuyasha.


	15. Tears and Blood, All For Her

Imma put my Author's note at the end from now on, just so I don't confuse the poo outta ya anymore.

So...look down, my friend. Well...read the big hunk of a sad chapter and THEN see what I have to say. Cuz I'm just cool like that. -grin-

**Chapter 13**

"Y-you…Kagome…." He whimpered, his golden eyes wide and red rimmed.

'Why didn't I move! Why didn't I get up and save her?' He yelled to himself, finding it near impossible to move at all.

The rest of the group stood, staring at Kagome's limp and cold body. They couldn't move either. They were too shocked to move, too scared to walk over and find that the young mortal was dead.

"Kagome?" Shippo asked, his voice quiet and choked as tears spilled down his rosy cheeks.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha screamed, forcing himself to his feet. He forgot about his Tenseiga. He forgot about Sanraku. He forgot about everything as he raced to Kagome's side, his eyes bloodshot. Everything collapsed, melted, fell out from under him as he dropped to his knees by Kagome and lifted her into his arms.

"She..she's freezing cold! T-This can't be happening….K-Kagome! Say something!" He pleaded, feeling too overwhelmed, all the feelings that he had ever felt for the girl returning and sinking in deeply. The picture that she had drawn of him flashed into his mind. How she had kissed him to bring him back from his true demon form. Everything he hadn't had a chance to say before was making him drown in his guilt.

He held her tightly, feeling that layer of ice that was starting to coat her frail body. The girl he held, it couldn't be Kagome. Not Kagome. Not _his _Kagome. He hadn't just let her get attacked. He hadn't watched her head hit that rock and her honey brown eyes disappear forever.

'I didn't even get to tell her…' He started to say to himself but stopped as he was surprised by his own thoughts. Tell her what? Did he even know?

As the cradled Kagome in his arms, holding her tightly to his chest, his eyes filled to the brim with tears. The salty liquid shimmered at the reddened rims, threatening to spill over.

Overwhelming sadness tugged at his every muscle as he felt thick, warm, liquid drip through the cracks of his fingers and splatter on the dirt beneath him.

The dam that held back the hanyou's emotions was cracking, breaking as blood spilled from Kagome's wound. The dam that held back those tears, shimmering at his rims, finally cracked. Tears tumbled down his cheeks as weak sobs left his throat. He pressed his wet cheek to the lifeless girl's, searching for warmth, any sign of life that told him he hadn't lost her yet, the girl he held so dearly.

"Kagome…Kagome…." He repeated her name over and over as he held her there and cried like he never had before. He thought he had been sad about Kikyou's many deaths…but she would just come back again in a body of clay. How would Kagome come back? She wouldn't…that was the point.

He hadn't even checked for a heartbeat. He wouldn't. He knew he would be too shocked to find that she had no heartbeat any longer.

"Is he…crying?" Sango asked, feeling her own eyes well up with tears. She didn't even want to ask the question that she knew all of them wanted to know.

"Yes….He…really cared about Kagome…" Miroku said, his eyes bloodshot as well.

Shippo sat on the ground, sobbing ridiculously. Kirara pushed her face into Sango's thigh and mewed softly, still in her youkai form, as they all mourned for their friend.

"How touching. The half-breed has fallen in love with a mortal….hmmm…." Sanraku taunted as he stepped in front of Inuyasha and looked down at his slumped over form.

Soft sniffling and whimpers drifted from the saddened hanyou as he peered down at Kagome's pale and expressionless face.

Revenge. He wanted it. He wanted to feel Sanraku's blood dripping from his fingers, not Kagome's. He would kill the demon for bringing such a feeling upon them all, such pain to Kagome and hurt to the one who held her.

The hanyou's head flicked upward, his golden eyes narrowing at Sanraku's smirking face.

Tear after tear appeared in the corners of Inuyasha's amber eyes. His hate, anger, and sadness overpowered him as he thrust out a hand and plunged it into Sanraku's stomach.

The demon uttered a low cry as pitch black blood, tinted a slight crimson, poured from the open wound and down Inuyasha's pale skinned arm. Had he not expected it, sensed it? Had he misjudged the hanyou so badly that he wouldn't even think to be the least bit careful around the inu demon that sought nothing but revenge?

"The name's Inuyasha!" He muttered, not bothering to deny the demon's statement.

"Oh…" Sanraku cried, seeing that, somehow, Inuyasha had broken through his barrier as Kagome had. Naraku had always had a weakness for Kikyou and since Kagome was Kikyou's reincarnation…perhaps he had a weakness for her too? Being Naraku's incarnation, he had those weaknesses too? But Inuyasha?

The crying hanyou panted loudly as he kept one arm tightly holding Kagome to his body, the other, lodged in Sanraku's gut.

The dark sky seemed to darken ever more as Sanraku's white eyes widened and his slitted pupils narrowed. He soared backwards. Inuyasha's hand remained stretched out, drenched in blood, even after Sanraku had gone. He sank back into the darkness and the sky lightened somewhat as the demon disappeared.

Inuyasha's eyes lowered to his bloodied arm. He opened his opened his mouth and let out a choked sob. He placed his other arm back around Kagome's motionless body and pulled her closer, pressed her to his heaving chest. The dark blood stained onto the back of her school shirt.

Inuyasha pressed his wet and burning hot cheek to Kagome's and nuzzled his nose into her ear. So many thoughts raced through his head and he held the limp body. Despite his relentless front, he really cared so much for her and hadn't even gotten the chance to tell her how much he really cared about her.

"Is she?…" Sango started to ask but cut her sentence short. It was as if she knew the answer.

The demon slayer turned and fell onto Miroku's chest, burying her face into his chest. For once, the pervert didn't try anything. He held her gently but sturdily. He seemed to be the only one who wasn't totally cracking up. That was…until a tear formed in the corner of his eye and silently traveled down his cheek.

Kirara mewed again and curled herself around Shippo as he sobbed hysterically. He cried the most but he wasn't the most hurt.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha muttered, his bloodshot eyes shooting open. He pulled Kagome away from his chest and peered down into her pale face. He gently rested her on the ground and pressed a hand to her chest.

He gasped lightly as he felt the smallest of a beating against his palm.

She was okay.

She was alive.

She needed medical attention immediately.

The half-demon stood shakily, one arm underneath the miko's legs and the other across her back. He held her tightly to his chest but he could barely move. He was so shocked that she was alive, that she had survived the crash into the huge boulder and her head nearly being cracked open.

"Is she okay, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked very gently as the hanyou walked past him, Kagome in his arms.

"Is Kagome alive?" Sango blurted, shoving away from Miroku and looking over at Inuyasha. He didn't reply. He walked silently to Kaede's hut. She jogged after him, Shippo, Miroku and Kirara silently following.

Miroku wrapped his arm around Sango and she didn't pull away. She needed comfort, needed an answer the ultimate question: Was Kagome alive?

The monk stepped forward, away from Sango. He was just as curious as the rest.

He quietly stepped up beside Inuyasha and looked to Kagome, her cheek pressed against the half-demon's shoulder. He reached out a hand to touch her but was startled and forced to pull away by a low growl. It took him awhile to realize it had come from Inuyasha.

"Get away from her!" He snapped.

Miroku backed away, back to Sango.

The hanyou wanted to have Kagome lean on him for awhile. He wanted to know the feeling that, for at least this moment, he was the only thing that she needed.

-------------------

Everything was silent. Not a bird sang and not a cricket chirped as the morbid silence blanketed them. There were no clocks to tick and no one else to speak to. All the hanyou could do was stare down at the mortal's pale face. Was she even going to make it? Her chest hardly moved as she took in weak breaths through her parted lips.

Inuyasha shook his head and turned away, a single tear sliding down his cheek.

"I don't deserve you….Kagome….You help me everyday by comforting me, healing me, making me laugh and smile. You do all that and the least I can do in return is protect you…and I couldn't even do that…" Inuyasha bit his lip and continued. "I should have been there. Should have been paying attention. I should have moved! I could have…saved you…I know that. But now look what I've let him do to you."

He pulled a leg tightly to his chest as he looked back down to the miko, the tears drying on his red cheeks.

"I'll never let him touch you again, Kagome….Forgive me…"

A gentle hand slid into Kagome's and grasped it lightly as his other gently brushed back the charcoal bangs from her pale features, his fingertips lightly caressing her skin.

..:-.---.---.-.----.---.-:..

-looks up-

...So, I got lazy!

Anyways. Sad, huh? But you still loved it, right? Hm. Well, there you go.

Don't chew my head! The girl was bound to die! ...Kidding...just stay tuned for the next chapter.


	16. Surviving By Hiding In the Modern World

**Chapter 14**

"Oooooh…" Kagome moaned as her brown eyes fluttered open. She peered around the empty hut.

Hut.

She was in Kaede's hut….

The injured girl pulled herself up and raised a shaky hand to the back of her head. Dried blood came off on her fingers. She moaned quietly in pain.

"W-What happened?" She asked herself aloud. Where was everyone?

She stood but stumbled. Her legs felt so weak and her head felt so heavy. Harsh jolts up pain wracked her entire body. Spots danced in front of her eyes.

She peered around once again for someone, anyone. Where was Kaede…where was Inuyasha?

'Inuyasha!' She thought, her mind shooting back to the battle earlier. Had she saved him? Was he okay?

Kagome held a hand to the back of her head. Her hair was damp. Someone had already tended to her wound.

"Inuyasha?" She asked as she stepped through the doorway and peered around cautiously. It was daytime already. Kagome must have slept until morning.

'Has everyone completely disappeared?' Kagome asked herself as she began to walk slowly towards the large dogwood that stood just in front of the hut. It was fall but the pale pink flowers were still in blossom and quite beautiful. Only a few had lost grip of the twigs that held them and fluttered to the ground beneath.

"Inu…yasha…." She uttered his name in a whisper once more as she spotted him sitting high in the dogwood tree. She slightly smiled but felt it painful to even move her head or face at all.

He sat so silently. He didn't even turn around to look at her even though she knew he had heard her. His head was lowered. Was he asleep? Thinking? About what? About Kagome?

Kagome stepped up to the towering tree. She placed her hand on the trunk and stared at the wooden planks they had hammered into the tree so that Kagome could get up any time she wanted.

Slowly, she grasped the plank that was level to her head and pulled herself up. She placed her foot on the first plank and then boosted herself up more. She had never actually went up the tree using the planks. She hadn't been up there since they had put them up.

Kagome knew that Inuyasha heard her call his name. He had such great hearing. Kagome really believed that he could hear a pin drop.

------------------

"Ugh…oh…" Kagome uttered as she finally reached the top and main branch that Inuyasha sat upon. He didn't turn to her.

She peered over at him, looked into his pale face. His amber eyes were low and staring off to the left, away from Kagome.

"How's your head?" The hanyou suddenly asked in an emotionless and rather solemn voice.

"Better…" Kagome said, not really remembering what had happened. All she could remember was the feel of her head hitting something hard so suddenly. She hadn't even seen it coming. She was glad to know that she had managed to lead Sanraku away from Inuyasha, at least.

He didn't speak another word. Kagome tried to look at his face but he pulled away from her, as if he didn't want her to see.

"Inuyasha?" She asked and quickly set a hand on his shoulder.

Upon feeling the touch, Inuyasha whipped his head around to look at her. It was just a natural reaction type thing.

Kagome gasped.

His eyes were red rimmed and bloodshot. His cheeks were stained a light pink and his face was even a little puffy. His eyes were glossy and as he looked into Kagome's eyes, they almost began to water.

"Have you been…crying?" Kagome asked, her eyes wide. Pain pounded at the back of her head.

The half-demon turned his face away from her and pulled his body farther away. Kagome's hand slid from his shoulder.

'He was crying….but why? Over me? Why was Inuyasha crying? He was always so tough! Why would he have a reason to cry over me?' Kagome thought, so many questions running through her mind. These thoughts and the actions that Inuyasha took arose a strange feeling in Kagome. A special feeling that was meant only for one special person.

-----------

"Why not? What's the big deal?" Kagome asked in a high and slightly irritated voice.

"Because! I don't think I can stand being stuck with you in your realm for a whole week!" Inuyasha replied, his face nearly red. "Besides! I'm not gonna sit around and let this Sanraku guy stomp around, gathering jewel shards for Naraku!"

"Lord Inuyasha. Kagome may be right. Sanraku is the most powerful of Naraku's detachments. If you stay in Kagome's realm for a week and come back afterwards, you may be able to catch Sanraku off guard!" The tiny flea demon shouted as he hopped onto the inu demon's shoulder.

"Myoga! I haven't seen _you _in awhile!" Sango said, squinting her eyes at the flea as she tied her hair up behind her.

"Yes, well…" Myoga answered, a microscopic bead of sweat rolling down from his forehead. He always seemed to run away just as something bad or dangerous happened and always seemed to appear when good looking women and hot meals were around.

It had only been a day since the short battle and Kagome had suggested that Inuyasha come to her realm for a week until everything dies down. Sango, Miroku and the rest needn't come because Sanraku only seemed to care about destroying Inuyasha and Kagome. Inuyasha, as stubborn as ever, refused.

"No way!" he shouted.

"YOU ARE SO FRUSTRATING, INUYASHA! YOU'RE COMING TO MY REALM WHETHER YOU WANT TO OR NOT!" Kagome screamed at him, her fists clenched.

"NO!"

"SIT!"

Inuyasha's red face smacked the wooden floor of Kaede's hut. He moaned painfully as he struggled to pull himself up but he just continued to lay there, his face pressed to the floor. Myoga had hopped off just before and landed on Kirara's little black ear. The kit scratched at the flea wildly.

"Inuyasha. Kagome. Ye must be back in a week. The demon may come looking for ye if ye return later than then." Kaede stated, turning away from the dying fire in the center of the small hut.

"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I'M GONNA GO?" Cried Inuyasha, pushing his face up from the floor.

Kagome's face whipped to him and her eyes narrowed threateningly. She gave him the dirtiest look that it actually made Inuyasha rethink his statement.

"…Fine…" He said, his lids dropping low and his arms crossing over his chest.

"Good! Let's go! We should leave as soon as we can!" Kagome said, a smile now forming across her pale features.

"….Why?" Inuyasha asked. Why would they need to leave right away?

"Because I have to study for my test! Now, come on!" Kagome replied, hopping up and grabbing her backpack. She flung it onto her back and waved to Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kaede. They all waved back.

Inuyasha glared angrily at Kagome but obediently followed Kagome out of the hut.

"Get on! Hurry! We'll be late for lunch!" Kagome cried to Inuyasha as she jumped onto her pink bike and kicked back the kickstand.

The hanyou grunted in disapproval but hopped onto the back of the bike and stuffed him arms into the opposite sides of his kimono.

"We're off! Bye guys!" Kagome called, turning to wave at the rest as she kicked off and began riding through the tall grass, to the well.

"Whoa!" She yelled as her bike wheel collided with a rock and she nearly lost her balance.

"WATCH IT!" Inuyasha cried, steadying himself after almost losing his balance as well.

..:------.---.-.--.--.------:..

Yeah, reall fancy-ish! Heh. Not. This one sucked. WHATEVER! Still gets better later on.

See. She's NOT dead...Now...just set down your pitchforks and torches...geez...


	17. Sleeping By Her Side

**Chapter 15**

"Mama!" Called the young miko as she rested her bike against the side of her white shingled house.

Inuyasha stood nearby, his arms still tucked into his kimono sleeves and a grumpy looking expression on his normally handsome and youthful face.

He followed close behind Kagome as she led him inside the house. Kagome stopped abruptly at the entrance room and slipped out of her shoes.

"Wipe your feet. Mama will have a fit if you track anything into the house." She stated, pointing to Inuyasha's dirty feet.

"Keh! Yeah, right!" The hanyou protested, walking forward a little, though not stepping into the kitchen.

"Just wipe your feet, Inuyasha! Try not to be such a nuisance!" Kagome cried, shaking her head and walking into the kitchen, her bare feet padding over the plastic tiles. Inuyasha stayed back to wipe his feet for two seconds, maybe less.

He caught up with Kagome in her room. She set her bag on her bed and began to shift through her dresser for some clothes to relax in.

"So. Whatcha got to do around here?" Inuyasha asked, his hands dropping to his sides as he entered the overwhelmingly feminine room.

"I dunno. We have a TV…if you wanna watch that…" Kagome replied, throwing a white t-shirt and a pair of green shorts onto her pink, silken, bedspread.

"And what's a TV again?" The half-demon retorted.

Kagome shook her head as a small smile played over her lips. She couldn't help but smile. He was so oblivious that it was actually cute.

"Kagome? Is that you?" Came a soft voice from out in the hallway.

"Mama!" Kagome cried as Ms. Higurashi popped her head in the door.

Strangely, the young mother's face looked older. Deep wrinkles creased her forehead as she look at Inuyasha. She had purple bags under her eyes and her smile lacked the warmth it usually had.

"Oh. Hello, Inuyasha." She said friendly as she stepped further into the room and pulled a pair of latex gloves off her bony hands.

'Uh oh…' Kagome thought. 'She always cleans when she's upset'

Inuyasha nodded at Kagome's mother with a straight face. If there was one person he was truly respectful to, it was Mrs. Higurashi.

"Hey, mama? What day is it?" Kagome asked politely. From all the switching back and forth between eras, she had lost track of what day it was.

"Sunday." Her mother replied softly. She always knew what day it was and what time it was, on the dot. She was so organized. Kagome envied her of that.

"Oh no! I have a test tomorrow! I have to study! Oh no, no, no!" She cried, raising her hands and placing them on each side of her face as she struggled to remember what her test was even about.

She darted to her desk and shifted through the piles of book that sat there. "Where is it! Where _is _it!" She cried, tossing aside literature and science books, along with some history book and biographies.

Inuyasha stood, an eyebrow arched at Kagome as she panicked over her test. Mrs. Higurashi chuckled softly and slipped from the room, a small smile on her face. She was proud of her daughter for still trying to take responsibility for her school duties.

The inu hanyou moved to the side and sat on Kagome's bed, moving his eyes over the clothes she had placed there.

"AH! Found it!" Kagome announced, holding up a thick, green math book.

Inuyasha sighed and shook his head.

"I'll alert the media…" The hanyou retorted.

'Kagome and her spells…' He thought, referring to the symbols and strange words inside the textbook that she held and was now frantically flipping through.

----------------

"Hey, Kagome? What's that symbol mean?" Inuyasha asked, his voice high and almost slightly mocking.

"AGH! INUYASHA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! I'M TRYING TO STUDY!" Kagome cried, nearly falling out of her chair as Inuyasha leaned over her shoulder and placed one long, sharp nail on a plus symbol.

"It means add, now leave me alone!" She replied, pushing his hand away and gluing her eyes back to the text of the book.

"What about that squiggly line?" The persistent half demon asked, pointing to a dollar sign.

"SIT!" Kagome cried, fed up with his constant questions. Did he do that just to annoy her? Probably. That seemed like something Inuyasha would do.

Kagome turned her full attention back to her math book as she heard Inuyasha's yelp as his face plummeted to the carpet below them.

"Grrr!" He growled, jumping up and raising a fist to Kagome's head. He stayed in that position, fist raised, as if he really meant to hit her.

"….Sit…" Kagome said, a hand propped up under her chin. She knew what he was doing. He had done this so many times before. She even found it somewhat cute…though she wouldn't let her thoughts wander that much.

Inuyasha plunged to the ground once again. He moaned an exasperated cry and lay still. He would rather be with that annoying little brother of Kagome's than with her when she was studying.

He pushed himself up and grumbled as he made his way towards the door. He was bored and off to find Souta, his last chance of escaping boredom.

------------------

Soft breaths escaped into the air as Kagome's chest rose and fell at a gentle pace. Her charcoal hair fell over her pale features as her cheek pressed against pages 236 and 237 of her math book. She had worked herself to sleep. The way she looked, sleeping there, people would think she had been bored to death.  
"Kagome? What time is it?" Asked the voice that belonged to the hand that curved around the edge of the door.  
He stepped inside, his steps soft against the carpet. His brows raised as his amber eyes fell on the sleeping girl.  
'She studied herself to sleep...' He thought as he made his way over to her and looked down between the locks of hair that covered the miko's face  
Slowly and gingerly, he swept away the dark locks of thick black hair and pushed them behind her ear. His long, elongated claws trailed across the skin on her cheek. Just like he had done the night when he had caught Naraku's scent.  
One pale arm slipped around her back and the other lifted her head from the book. Her head gently fell back against the hanyou's shoulder. He felt a strange heat rise from his belly to his throat. He tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat down but it remained, freezing him to the spot with Kagome leaning against him with such a blank expression...just like the one she had had when she was injured, knocked unconscious. When Inuyasha had mistook her for dead.  
He grasped her underneath the knees and lifted her from the chair and fully into his embrace. He held her there for a moment, felt her warmth against him. The lump grew and heated up his body, made his heart race.  
A soft moan left Kagome's soft, full, pink lips. It startled Inuyasha somewhat. He was so sensitive right now, so jumpy, so unaware except for Kagome's soft breathes and the racing of his own heart.  
Carefully, he lay the miko onto her silken pink bed and his arms slipped away. He watched her as she quietly stirred and her long lashes parted and her eyes, the color of melted milk chocolate, were revealed.  
"Inu...Inuyasha?" Kagome's soft voice spoke out to Inuyasha.  
Her words tickled the inside of his ears.  
"What...are you doing?" She asked, slowly rising to a sitting position. A portion her raven black hair fell over her soft and pale features.  
The hanyou was speechless though he took in each word as if it were orphaned.  
"I was...what time is it?" He managed to choke out in a voice that he didn't recognize.  
"I don't know...late..." She replied, dropping the question before.  
'I don't remember getting up and going to bed...did he...' Again, she stopped her thoughts before she thought of something stupid, something that Inuyasha could have done that was actually romantic.  
"I'm...tired..." Inuyasha whispered, lying completely. He looked around and then back to Kagome. For some reason, he wanted this awkward moment to end though Kagome wanted it to last.  
Quickly, Inuyasha hopped onto the bed, beside Kagome. He laid down casually, a mocking smile on his face as he crossed his arms behind his head.  
"Hey! No way! You're not sleeping up here, dog boy!" Kagome yelled, rolling over Inuyasha and shoving him from the other side.  
"Hey! Ah- Kagome!" He cried as he was shoved off the bed. It was so easy to slip off of the silken fabric. "Who are you callin' 'dog boy'?"  
"You!" Kagome retorted. "You...Sleep here.."  
She pulled one of the laced pillows and threw it on the floor.  
"What? No way! I'm not sleeping on the ground like some kind of rodent!" The irritated hanyou replied.  
"No. Not like some kind of rodent. Like a dog!" She replied, her voice high. She was fully awake now.  
"I am not sleeping down here!" Inuyasha refused, being as stubborn as ever. He shook his head furiously, his silver-white hair flying from side to side.  
"Yes you are! Cause you sure aren't sleeping up here! You are sleeping down there!"  
"No...I'm not! I am not sleeping down here!"  
"Yes! You are!"  
"NO!"  
"YES!"  
"SIT!"  
"AGH!" The purple beads around Inuyasha's neck grew brilliantly and forced his face forward, roughly to the carpet. It was lucky that the pillow was lying just under him or his face may have gotten some serious carpet burn.  
"DAMN IT! KAGOME! WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME!" The angry inu demon yelled as he rose from the carpet and clenched a fist beside his red face.  
"Humph!" Was Kagome's only reply as she sunk under the covers and turned over, away from Inuyasha.

-------------

Inuyasha moved to the side of the bed, his expression cautious. He set two pale, clawed, hands on the side of the silky material that covered the bed and Kagome.  
Quietly, cautiously, he lifted himself onto the bed and moved over Kagome, his billowing kimono lightly grazing her body as she slept soundly. He settled himself just beside of the sleeping miko. He didn't move under the covers...he just lay there, taking in the soft feeling of the mattress and the warmth of Kagome's fragile body near his.  
Eventually, his eyes closed, only to awake a few hours before Kagome so he wouldn't be caught sleeping by her side.

..:---.-.-.---.----:..

Yeah. Cute, right? This one wasn't too terribly bad.

Aw, well. It's getting better, no?


	18. Stop Crying and Hold Me Back

**Chapter 16**

"Sis! Breakfast is ready!" Souta's voice came from the kitchen. The smell of bacon drifted through the closed door to Kagome's room and birds chirped so loudly that their daily song pushed through the shut window and reached Kagome's ears as she lay on the bed.

She turned onto her other side and blinked several times to get used to the new lighting. She groaned softly and rose a hand to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"OW! WHAT THE HELL?"

Kagome sat upright at hearing the pained yell from the kitchen. She recognized the voice but hadn't expected to hear it. Then she remembered.

"Inuyasha?" She said, thinking aloud, as she let her legs dangle over the side of her pink bed.

Yes. She had heard his voice in the kitchen. He was always up so early.

"I _told _you it was hot!" Souta replied to the hard headed half demon. A growl was heard soon after.

Kagome lifted herself up and stumbled slightly as she felt her feet connect with soft carpet. She slipped over to her door, her feet still wobbly. She could barely think, she was so tired. What day was it? What time was it? She pulled open her door and stepped into the short hallway. She blinked several times before heading down the flight of stairs and into the kitchen.  
"NO, STOP! THAT PIECE IS MINE!" Souta yelled, tugging at a piece of bacon in Inuyasha's hands.  
"Heh! Not anymore, kid!" He replied and stuffed the strip of meat into his mouth, his ivory fangs dripping with saliva, showing how ravenous he was.  
"Now, boys, calm down! It's just bacon! There's plenty more!" Grandpa said, trying to settle the two. It was obvious that it wasn't going to work.  
"Mmm..." Kagome muttered, stepping further into the room.  
"It's about time!" Inuyasha called to her, his mouth full. Souta didn't even acknowledge her, he was still fuming over the stolen strip of bacon.  
"Good morning, Kagome." Mrs. Higurashi said quietly as she wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and took a seat at the table.  
"Morning, Mom! What time is it?" Kagome asked, running a bony hand through her tangled black hair.  
"I dunno. Who cares? All I know is, you've been sleeping for hours." The hanyou replied before her mother could give her the time.  
"7:45." Her mom answered, not even having to look at the clock. Obviously, she had been checking.  
"WHAT! OH NO! I'M GOING TO BE LATE FOR SCHOOL! NO! AND I HAVE A TEST TODAY!" The, now wide awake, miko cried as she ran back upstairs and soon returned with her hairbrush running rapidly through her hair.  
The entire family watched, wide eyed, as the young girl raced around the room, smoothing her school clothes, brushing her hair, and stuffing bacon into her mouth at the same time.

--------

'Oh noooo...I don't understand any of this!' Kagome thought as she tapped her number two pencil rapidly on her desktop. Her brown eyes were glued to the three pages of math in Japanese in front of her face.  
'Why didn't I study this!...Wait...I fell asleep before this lesson! Agh! But...if I fell asleep, how'd I get in my bed...did he...NO! STOP! FOCUS!' She scolded herself and stared harder at the chalk white paper.  
Frustrated, she let her pencil fall from her grip and her head fall to the desk.

-------------

"Hey! Kagome! How'd you do on your test?" Asked Yuka and Eri at the same time. Ayumi lagged behind them.

"Not so hot…" Kagome replied, turning slightly to look at them as she trudged down the long hallways with her large yellow book bag on her back.

"What do you mean? You didn't even get the results back!" Ayumi shouted, breathless

"Yeah…well…I didn't exactly know any of the answers…so…" She replied, her expression very solemn. She stretched out a pale arm and trailed her fingertips across the surfaces of the gray lockers as she passed them.

"I'm sorry, Kagome! You've been out a lot…maybe the teacher will understand and let you take it again!" Ayumi offered a comforting suggestion.

"…Maybe…" The sad miko replied, dropping her hand to her side.

------------------

"Welcome home, Kagome!" Ms. Higurashi called as her daughter trudged through the kitchen, obviously still upset.

"Mmmm…." She said softly, as she ran into her room, tears almost coming to her eyes.

"Little kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty!" Inuyasha taunted. Kagome's eyes lifted and widened at Inuyasha as she found him kneeling on the ground, pulling at her cat's short, chubby legs. He quickly jumped up at hearing her entrance and his arms immediately crossed over his chest.

" 'bout time!" He said to cover it up, his cheeks turning red and he fidgeted nervously.

Buyo lay on his back, spread out over the ground and staring up at Kagome and Inuyasha with an irritated expression.

"Um…" Was Kagome's only reply. She couldn't manage words. She was still to upset about the test.

The caught hanyou fidgeted once more. The small pink on his cheeks soon reddened and spread across his entire face. He always hated being caught as a softy.

"Kagome? Are you alright? You didn't seem too happy when you walked in…" Kagome's mother asked, popping her head into the door.

Kagome turned to her mom as Inuyasha's muscled arms dropped to the sides and his amber eyes raised to Mrs. Higurashi's. Buyo hopped up and trotted out of the room.

"I'm fine, Mama…" Kagome retorted rather angrily.

"Well…Why don't you two go for a walk or something? You know that field of daisies is just down the road, in the park. You've never been there. It's a good time to check it out on such a nice spring day!" Her mama offered, stepping slightly out of the room.

Kagome could smell food cooking downstairs. She looked eager to get back to it and Kagome didn't want to let the house burn down so she nodded instead of pulling the conversation further.

She heard Inuyasha growl softly as her mom left the room and a long silence fell upon them. She slowly turned her brown eyes back to him.

"C'mon…let's go, It'll do us both some good…" The hanyou said, his handsome face still mildly red.

Again, she nodded as she stepped over to her bed but then realized that her backpack was still on her back. It was so light that she hadn't even noticed that it was there. She hadn't brought any books home except her art book. It was like she was planning on going to the feudal realm and not going to school.

------------

"So…_where _is this place again?" The inu hanyou asked as he strode down the paved sidewalks, a few feet ahead of Kagome. He always had to be the dominant one

"I'm not really sure…just down here, I think." The miko said softly, in a somewhat better mood than before as she perked up a bit to pick up pace. She followed, obediently to Inuyasha's side. The thought pricked up in the back of her mind to let her hand graze his or let their arms bump, just an excuse to touch his soft skin, but soon enough a breeze blew by to swipe the idea from her mind.

The two walked swiftly and slowly, as if savoring every moment of being by each other's side. Though, the both of them still seemed so awkward walking along like that. Kagome constantly straightened her tan undershirt that was trapped beneath her brown jumper. She never let a second alone without pulling down the end of her skirt until, finally, they came upon the large field.

Bright yellow daisies invaded the tall grasses, un-mowed for so long, like miniature balls of sunshine that had rained down from the sun. The yellow petals swayed with the large blades of green grass in the churning winds that twisted and blew at anything it could.

"Well…we're here…" Inuyasha stated quietly, lacking the knowledge of what to do or say at a time like this. Whenever Kagome's pretty little candy lips turned into a frown and she lost that sparkle, that little perk, it always stumped him. It always put a damper on his own mood and he felt as though it was just his duty to cheer her up.

Kagome nodded dumbly. The third nod of the day as she stepped ahead of Inuyasha and trudged into the field. She waded carefully and daintily through the crowd of daisies that stretched even higher that her waist.

Inuyasha stepped after her, stomping through the daisies, not really caring. So what? There were tons of daisies in the feudal era. It wasn't such a special sight to see the field of an almost solid yellow. Kagome immediately shot him an angry glance. He stopped short and his features softened. She was really mad and he knew he wasn't helping. He chose not to say anything.

They walked further into the field until they were completely surrounded by swaying daisies on all sides. Kagome turned to him to give him another odd look. One of pure sorrow and sadness, even frustration, mostly in herself.

"Kagome? Are you…Okay?" He asked, his voice soft and calm for once, trying not to upset the miko even more. That would only set into a whole rumble of arguments. Though, there was no way to avoid this one.

"Define: 'Okay'!" She suddenly snapped back, her fists clenching and her nails digging into her flesh. Inuyasha flinched at her sudden outburst. That was something _he _would do. Not sweet, perky, happy go lucky Kagome.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked, his voice shaking somewhat. He didn't even know why. Why was he reacting this way?

"WRONG? YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT'S WRONG? I'LL TELL YOU! I HAVE TO TRAVEL ALMOST EVERY DAY FROM YOUR ERA TO HERE AND FROM HERE TO YOUR ERA," She shouted to the world, for everyone to hear.

"Sh! Kagome! Not so loud!" The inu half demon cried, but the miko wouldn't stop. She just rambled and rambled until it plucked the short tempered hanyou's last nerve. His fists clenched as well as both their frustration grew.

The sky had darkened long ago, giving way to a startling cold breeze that rattled the trees nearby, shaking dried leaves from their crisp branches. The heavy clouds threatened a cold beating of rain.

"Kagome! Shut up!" He cried to her.

"AND BACK AND FORTH AND BACK AND FORTH AND,"

"…Shut up!"

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! MY FAMILY MISSES ME AND I MISS THEM BUT I'M STAYING FOR YOU,"

The thick clouds inched along the sky, their bellies about to burst. With every word that the two screamed into the air, it brought another tiny crystalline droplet down to the earth. One after another, disturbing the happy dance of the daisies as they seemed to waltz around Kagome and Inuyasha in the wind.

"KAGOME!"

"MY BROTHER HAS TO TAKE ALL OF MY RESPONSIBILITES UP FOR ME AND,"

"SHUT UP!"

"THEN THERE'S SCHOOL! I'M COMPLETELY FAILING MY CLASSES BECAUSE YOU KEEP BOTHERING ME WHILE I'M STUDYING AND BECAUSE,"

To add to the heavy sheets of rain that splashed down from the ripped clouds above, a sudden tear trickled down Kagome's face. One after another, tears and droplets of rain danced down the miko's face. It was hard for Inuyasha to tell the tears from the rain. Was there a difference? Were they both not cried from a sad soul? Tears, from Kagome, and rain from the saddened heavens above. It was hard to see Kagome's face at all anymore through the constant spatter of rain.

"SHUT UP! STOP YELLING AND BE QUIET FOR JUST ONE SECOND, KAGOME!"

"I HAVE TO SWITCH BETWEEN WORLDS OVER SOME STUPID JEWEL THAT YOU WANT TO TURN YOURSELF INTO A FULL DEMON WITH! I DON'T EVEN WANT THAT! AND THEN THERE'S,"

"SHUT UP KAGOME, JUST SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Inuyasha screamed, so desperate to stop her tears, stop her screaming. He would do anything. Anything.

Suddenly, he thrust himself forward and seized the thin girl by the hips. He pulled her fragile body against his in a tight embrace, the hanyou's last attempt to stop her tears and howls of sorrow. His arms moved around her tiny waist and his claws nearly dug into her skin underneath her clothing. He just wanted it to stop.

"I'm just…so sick and tired…of, of playing the role of a h-happy girl…that no one knows." Kagome muttered, her words muffled as her arms raised to cling to the front of his haori.

She sobbed loudly into his soaked red fire rat robe. The heavy sheets of cold rain soaked them both to the bone as they stood there, Kagome's face pressed into Inuyasha's chest, her sobs muffled by his big kimono. The hanyou's face was lowered to her head and inhaling the fresh scent of her hair. Strawberries and Sakura Blossoms. It calmed the both of them. He savored every single moment of this, as did Kagome.

A startling flash of lightening and crack of thunder seemed to shake the Earth beneath them, making Inuyasha stumble on his feet from the sudden flash and sound. The hanyou stumbled, feeling his arms slowly slipping from around the miko. He held her fast to him, never letting go as he tumbled to the ground, bringing the sobbing girl right down with him.

The just lay there, not seeming to care anymore. Kagome had said that she was tired of playing the role of a _happy _girl that _no one _knows. Now he had a chance to pull her away from that stereotype. She was crying, so she wasn't happy and she was with him, lying in his arms in that huge field of crowding daisies that hung over them like hovering falcons, closing in for a feast. _He _knew her. Now she could stop crying. He couldn't take the screaming, the crying. Each tear she shed sent a strike of guilt through him and choked a thousand words in his throat. Anything…anything at all to silence her cries.

..:---.-.--.---..-.-.--.----:..

Hmmm...Pretty...ending, that is.

I redid this awhile ago so it's a BIT up to date. Not my best, still. But it's better than it was before, TRUST ME!

Wow...


	19. Sango's Anger and Kagome's Love

**Chapter 17**

"Miroku! Where are-" Sango's call for the monk cut short suddenly as she walked from the dense forest. The sky overhead was dark and threatening rain. The winds made her multicolored kimono billow in the wind.

Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the perverted monk that was too busy holding a young girl's hands and asking her to bear his children, to notice the taijiya.

Quickly, she jogged to the two and stood behind Miroku, her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed. She was fuming.

"Don't you think it's time to go find some food, _Miroku?" _she said, her foot tapping wildly.

"Just a minute, Sango. I'm sorry, Hitomi, Where were we?" Miroku said, hardly turning to look her way. His blue eyes were fixed on the small girl's. She looked about only sixteen or seventeen, around Kagome's age, with brown hair and freckles dotting across her face. She looked rather surprised by the whole thing. That was just Miroku to catch some pretty girl off guard and completely shock her by asking that dreaded question that all women probably knew by now.

"_Now, _Houshi-Sama!" The slayer demanded as she pulled her boomerang type weapon from over her shoulder and swung it around, clocking the perverted monk on the top of the head with it.

"Yes, Sango-Chan…" He said, his eyes swirling. Finally, the sense had been knocked into him for the time being.

Sango angrily dragged him away, her hand tightly clenching his shoulder and pulling him back to the small wooden hut of Kaede's.

"Are ye okay, Sango?" The old woman asked as she watched the fuming slayer enter the hut in a huff and dragging the monk behind her.

"Sango? Oh. She looks mad! Miroku must've been off womanizing again…" Shippo said as he pulled his hands away from the fire that was set in it's usual place in the middle of the hut. He lay his small hands in his lap.

Sango dropped Miroku's shoulder and crossed her arms. She hated it. She always hated it when Miroku womanized. He never seemed to capture the point of her anger.

'Sometimes I really wonder how many children that perv really has….' The slayer thought scornfully. 'I bet he really has gotten that far with some desperate girl…'cause he's desperate just like her.'

"Sango?" His voice echoed through her ears. Why was he talking to her? She surely didn't want to hear his voice right now.

She angrily dropped to the ground, on top of her sleeping bag and scrambled into it. Kagome had loaned it to her. She was always so generous and could almost always make her feel better when Miroku was womanizing. She wished the young miko was here now.

"It's late. I'm going to sleep." the taijiya stated with almost no emotion as she rolled over and closed her eyes.

----------

Soft breathes left both Kagome and Inuyasha's parted lips as they slept soundly in the field. The birds chirped happily in the trees that surrounded three sides of the large field.

Upon feeling something warm and wet sliding against her body and soft breathes on the back of her neck, Kagome awoke. Her long lashes slightly parted to allow her brown eyes to gaze at the land in front of her. It took her awhile to realize that they were still lying in the field of daisies. The grass and flowers that had once surrounded them as they lay, were now crushed to the ground all around them, allowing them to lay in the flat patch of land with freedom.

Her eyes traveled downward as she began to move. She had felt a wet, warm, mass on her arm. She didn't know what to think when she saw a long, pale arm stretched over her body and lying on top of her arm.

The arm was familiar. She knew that arm. She knew that skin and she knew those shallow breathes. Inuyasha.

Kagome moved once more and felt Inuyasha's lips brushed against the back of her neck. She shuddered and an odd feeling stirred inside her. She wanted to stay there, lay there with the hanyou. She would. For as long as she could, she would stay there and lay with him. But then she remembered…it was Tuesday.

She moved once more, struggling to get up. She had no idea what time it was. How long had they slept there, in the field? Was Mrs. Higurashi awake yet? Had she noticed they were still gone?

Again, she felt Inuyasha against her. She could tell that he was curled against her, his heated body pressed to hers. She…strangely…loved that feeling. She wanted to stay…but school…she had to go.

Gently, she pulled away. The hanyou's pale arm slid from her arm and gently fell to the ground. As he barely stirred, he moved his arm back and set his hand on the curve of Kagome's body. She gasped. How would she get away now? Her whole body began to tingle as cold chills ran up and down her wet body.

Finally, within the next few minutes, she had freed herself from Inuyasha without waking the sleeping half demon.

She sighed a deep breath of relief as she stepped over the hanyou and pushed through the tall daisies, her soaked clothes clinging to her skin.

---------

"AH….AH….ACHOO!" Kagome sneezed furiously as she trudged down the sidewalk, towards her home.

'Why, oh, WHY, did I have to fall asleep in that stupid field? Now I have a cold, I know it! Ugh!' Kagome thought, almost regretting those moments in that field cursed to be infested with bright yellow daisies. Almost. Not quite. That hug that Inuyasha had given her, just to make her happy and stop crying, and then waking up with him right by her side was the greatest gift anyone could have given her. But she could have at least changed into different cloths, even if she couldn't dress in her school uniform because it was in the dryer.

Sure, Ayumi had let her wear a spare, green, tank top and small blue skirt of hers but she had already been through half the day in soaked clothes.

"NOOO!" She cried, realizing that, last week, her friends had told her that they had school on this weekend because it had snowed all week, letting them miss that entire week of learning and reviewing for their next test coming up.

"Great…just great…" She muttered, her nose clogged and making her voice sound odd and choked.

"Inuyasha is probably ticked at me for leaving him in that field…if I know him like I do…he most definitely is…" She murmured to herself as she tripped up the steps to her yard and house.

" 'bout time!" A deep voice called from behind her. Kagome flinched and even cried out a little. It had startled her pretty badly.

"Inuyasha!" She cried, suddenly recognizing the voice as she whirled around to face the angry looking hanyou.

She gazed at him, his body leaned against the large, familiar from tree. The tree he had been pinned to for 50 years. If Kagome had never released that arrow within his chest, he would still be pinned to that tree to this very day….

"Heh…What's your deal, anyway…" He asked, his arms crossed tightly over his chest and an odd look on his face. It was of anger and slight pleasure of her reaction.

"W-what do you mean?" She asked, her voice strained and still showing signs of mild shock from the entire thing.

"You left me back at the field, Kagome! I had _no _idea where you were! Do you know how worried I was?" The hanyou cried back to her, pushing himself off the tree and soon sinking back to the ground.

"Oh, thanks, _mom. _" Kagome retorted, small tears coming to her eyes. She was having such a hard time lately and Inuyasha was only making it worse now. Before she knew it, she was crying like a baby.

"Hey! Why the tears?" Inuyasha asked, rather surprised by the salty liquid that trailed down her cheeks. He knew she cried really easily, but hadn't expected her to choke up over his words just then. Usually, it took a whole lot to get her to cry in front of him.

"Kagome….Kagome, come here…." He offered. He hated to see her cry. Did she even know what it did to him inside? It killed him. With every tear she cried, he lost another piece of himself and felt another urge to kill everything that caused those tears. If he gave into that….he would be dead.

"Y-you're mad at me!" The young miko blubbered, her face red. She slowly inched towards the hanyou who sat on the ground, leaning against the tree.

"No…no, I'm not…" He said in a gentle voice, trying to calm her. Trying to stop her spilling tears that ate him from the inside, out.

Slowly, cautiously, Kagome crept towards Inuyasha, Ayumi's blue skirt blowing and tickling her legs as it swayed in the wind. She kneeled as she reached him and carefully slid into his arms as he pulled his legs to his chest and created a small place for her to lay against him. She choked out a sob as the half-demon's clawed fingers moved over her red cheeks to wipe away her tears.

That's when he realized how beautiful this reincarnation of his ex lover, really was. Too beautiful to be drenched with salty, stinging tears.

Kagome choked out another sob as she felt his arms wrapping around her and pressing her to his body.

Kagome trembled lightly out of coldness and upon feeling the sensation of their bodies so close, return.

Inuyasha felt the vibrating through his thick clothing and press against his flesh. His feelings for this girl were so odd and so hard to determine. He wanted to hold her like this so many times but nearly never did. He controlled himself and his feelings towards her. As if he even knew those feelings.

"Are He asked and soon after, felt Kagome nod shortly. "Here." He said in a soft and soothing voice as his arms slipped away to untie his red kimono top.

Again, he felt Kagome tremble violently. Was this an ordinary cold or was Inuyasha just overreacting?

He shrugged off his red kimono top and tucked it around Kagome. He wasn't satisfied. He then pulled off his under kimono shirt and wrapped the white clothing around the miko.

He could still hear her soft sobs as she moved back and let the kimono shirts fall around her waist. Her shoulders heaved and she placed a pale hand on the bare skin on Inuyasha's arm.

"I…I'm going to fail…" She murmured, knowing fully well that Inuyasha didn't really care about her school or education. Maybe she could talk to him just this once. Or maybe she meant much more with those words.

"It's okay, Kagome. Just rest, you're completely out of it…" He pleaded, hardly able to stand her sobs of sorrow.

He gently spread a hand on her lower back and pulled her back to him so that her nearly bare body lay against his bare chest. The sensation of their unclothed flesh rubbing against each other was hypnotizing to the hanyou and the miko.

'What's he doing? Why is he being so nice…why is he holding me like this?' Kagome wondered as she felt Inuyasha pull his kimono shirts back around her. She could feel the gentle caress of the material that had once shrouded the hanyou's body, move against her bare skin as she slowly began to fall asleep to the gentle rhythm of Inuyasha's fast beating heart.

..:----.-.--.-.-------:...

'Tis also a pretty ending, right?

-cough-

I'm so not used to this.

Hmmmm...

Well, time to submitt the next chapter. Just a few more before I actually have to start TYPING it again...


	20. Cold, Then Hot, Then Going Insane

**Chapter 18**

"Kagome…Kagome?...Kagomeeee….."

The girl gently stirred and moved her face to the side. She could feel her skin peel from Inuyasha's chest, strangely moistened with sweat.

"Hm?" She muttered, her voice clogged with sleep as she struggled to open her eyes. She could still feel Inuyasha's arms wrapped, tightly, around her back and holding his shirts to her.

"Kagome…if you keep sleeping outside, you're gonna catch a cold!" said the raspy voice once more. Kagome recognized it this time. Her grandpa. Didn't he notice at all that she had been asleep, lying against an 18 year old boy that was shirtless?

'So clueless…' She thought as she pulled herself further off the hanyou.

"K-Kagome?" Said Inuyasha. Unlike Kagome's, his voice didn't sound clogged with sleep. Had he been awake? Since when? Why had he stayed lying there with her against him?

"What? Oh…Am I late _again?_" She asked, remembering that she had school yet again. Luckily, no tests until a few more weeks, but this was her chance to really get to review and study.

She peeled herself away from Inuyasha, their skin sticking together in an awkward way that made them both turn a slight red. She sat straight up and listened to the bones in her back crack in adjustment. The shirts remained around her shoulders.

"Mmm….It's 7:17..." Her grandpa told her as he turned over his wrist watch and squinted at the tiny numbers within.

"Agh! School starts at 8:00, Grandpa!" Kagome shouted as if it was somehow his fault, though she hadn't meant it to sound like that.

"So what's _he _gonna be able to do about it?" Inuyasha retorted, possibly defending her grandpa, or possibly just to have a reason to retort rudely to her. Most likely, the second one.

"I don't know! Just! UGH! Are my school clothes dry, yet? Oh! I hope they are! I have to wear my uniform or else…Oooohh!" She cried.

"Oh. _This _episode again…" Inuyasha muttered, referring to the day before when Kagome ran frantically around with her family staring wide eyed.

"Mmm!" She shouted through pressed lips. She shot her glance back to him, her lips ready to form the words of: 'sit, boy'. She was quieted when she saw the handsome hanyou sitting in the grass at the base of the tree, his chest bare, and his legs pulled apart, leaving the space for Kagome free to get to…as if free if she ever felt like laying back down.

"Kagome? Helloooo? You're goin' all starry eyed again!" He shouted to her upon her sudden freeze

"What? I'm fine." The miko stated back, standing up and brushing the small, green, blades of grass from her green top.

"I didn't ask if you were okay…I said you're goin' all starry eyed. " He said back, his tone mocking. Once again, she forced herself to ignore it.

--------------

The slayer walked through the forest once more, periodically bending low to pick of a short stick or two for the fire back at Keade's hut. Her eyes were distant as she quickly shifted the pile she had collected, in her hands. Her thoughts were definitely elsewhere.

Suddenly, as she neared the village, she could hear soft spoken words. She squinted into the forest and tried to pick out the faint sound.

"Miroku…" She mutter as she recognized the voice. She'd know it anywhere.

She stood there, her foot tapping as it had before as she waited to hear those words. 'Will you bear my children?'

God, how she hated that. He was such a pervert, such a womanizer. Again, she couldn't help but wonder if he was really 'innocent' anymore…or did he just _say _those things. Or did he actually have children? She shook her head. It was hard to picture Miroku as a good father.

"So…Will you…bear my children?"

She finally heard it and cringed out of anger. An arm raised to her shoulder the hold to the strap of her Hiraikotsu. Some of the sticks that she had held, clattered to the forest floor as she walked in the direction of the voices.

Sango's eyes widened at the sight she came upon. Miroku had some young woman pressed against the trunk of an old oak tree. Their eyes were closed as Miroku's lips moved towards her.

'No! I can't let this happen! I don't think I'll be able to stand to see them kiss! I know I can stop it!' She thought as she leapt forward and shoved the remaining of her sticks into Miroku's arms.

"I thought we were collecting _sticks, _Miroku?" She said, her voice firm. She heard him utter a soft moan of defeat.

"Yes, darling…" He answered, turning away from the young girl, his face slightly red.

"Don't call me that!" Sango snapped, angry at him. He had called her 'darling'. Had he been expecting her to _like _it? After what he had been caught doing?

The girl muttered something under her breath and straightened her blue kimono as she started to take off back to the village, her freckled cheeks red with embarrassment. Now that Sango had another look, she could tell that it had been the same girl from before. Oddly, Miroku seemed to be hooked on that one. Could it be that she was possibly willing to bear his children? What if it got that far when Sango wasn't looking? What if….

------------

"Kagome!" The miko heard her voice being called as she walked across the campus of her middle school. It took her only a moment to realize who the handsome, young, boy that was running towards her, was. Hojou.

As she stood there and smiled, she could feel his lips on hers. She could feel his hands on her face as she had when he had kissed her. He had seemed so needy….so….why didn't she pull away? Could it be that she had actually liked it? It was a strange feeling…like maybe when she saw him, she wanted to do it again, yet she didn't. It's like when you have a cavity and you keep blowing air through it just to see if it still hurts.

"Kagome! I'm _so _sorry that I had to miss the prom!" He said in a truly apologetic voice. A small grin tugged at the corners of Kagome's mouth.

"It's okay, Hojou…I found another date." She replied, her grin never leaving her lips as the visions of Inuyasha holding her so gently as he danced…or…whatever he was doing on that dance floor.

The brown haired boy, a year and grade higher than her, seemed confused by this statement. Did he expect her to go alone? Not to go at all?

"Well…I should be getting home now!" She said, breaking the awkward silence. She swore she could hear crickets chirping.

She gave another sweet grin and trotted off towards home, eager to see Inuyasha again. She didn't like leaving him alone at her house for so long. Her better mood was obvious. Much different than yesterdays or the day's before as she was almost in tears about her education.

--------------

"Inuyasha? Are you here?" She called into her house as she let her huge yellow backpack slide from her shoulder and drop to the floor. When she did not hear the reply of Inuyasha's deep, hypnotizing, voice, she walked to her room, dragging her bag behind her and up the stairs.

"Inuyasha? Hello? Anyone home?" She called again, her voice cracked softly in slight worry.

No reply.

She pushed open the door to her room and peered inside. A soft smirked pulled over her lips at the sight that met her milk chocolate eyes.

"Inuyashaaaa…." She said in a gentle, teasing voice as she crept over to the hanyou that lay on her pink bed. Sure she had told him not to sleep up there….but now…it was just so cute how he lay there, curled up like a little puppy in front of a fire.

Quietly, he stirred and Kagome perched herself giddily on the side of the bed, on her knees, staring down at the hanyou with a cheeky smile.

"Have a nice snooze?" She teased, her smile widening as a slight pink crossed Inuyasha's cheeks when his eyes fluttered open.

"Uhhh…I wasn't sleeping…" The hanyou replied, sitting straight up and widening his eyes to give the illusion that he had not just been sleeping. Kagome grinned and let go of the strap on her book bag.

"What were you doing then? Resting your eyes while you practice your snore?" She teased again, reaching out a finger to poke him in the ribs. He had a confused look that kept the smile on the miko's face.

"I wasn't snoring!…Was I?" He yelled, giving it away that he had been sleeping. His face turned red as Kagome giggled.

"Mmm….that's not funny…" He muttered and pushed Kagome's hand away and rubbed the spot where she poked him. It tingled.

"Well…" Kagome started to speak when a foul odor reached her nose. She recoiled in disgust. For the first time, she had realized how much the hanyou stank.

"EW! INUYASHA, YOU STINK LIKE A DOG!" She cried, jumping up from the bed and covering her nose.

"Who ya callin' a dog?" Inuyasha yelled back, looking insulted. He pulled his legs underneath him and stared at Kagome with narrowed eyes.

No matter what the young miko said that happened to have the word 'dog' in it, Inuyasha thought she was talking about him that way. It was actually quite amusing.

"No one! I said you _smell _like one, Inuyasha! You really need to take a shower!" Kagome replied as she moved her hand down further, covering both her nose and mouth so that he didn't see her smile.

"And what's this 'shower' you speak of?" The clueless hanyou asked, acting as if he wasn't curious by the least bit though he leaned forward. Kagome leaned back.

"Here. I'll show you. Follow me, stinky." She said, walking swiftly out of the room as she motioned for the hanyou to follow.

Inuyasha pulled himself from the bed, now, obviously intrigued by this "shower" that Kagome spoke of. His brows were angled inward but he made no response to Kagome's last comment as he followed her from a long distance.

Kagome turned, noticing how the half demon lagged behind. She reached out a hand and let her other drop to her side as she grasped the hanyou's hand. She raised them up to her face, as if examining them. The hallway was silent as Kagome moved her shimmering irises to meet his trembling ones. She didn't know what to say or do at this point. What had she been doing before she took his hand? Her heart pounded. She had forgotten. She forgot everything with his touch…it was so strange.

"Um…the shower, Kagome?" Inuyasha reminded her, breaking the awkward silence that had blanketed them for quite awhile.

"Oh…yeah…" She replied, a rosy blush spreading over her cheeks as she lowered their hands and tried to get her brain straight. The hanyou shifted his weight uncomfortably and waited for something to happen. Anything. Anything to break the silence between them. It was too awkward for the moment. Inuyasha had found himself lost in Kagome's eyes so many times before….but he always scolded himself about it afterwards. What would she think of him if she knew how soft he was inside?

Quickly, Kagome led Inuyasha down the stairs and into the tiny bathroom at the far end of the hall downstairs. She pulled aside the tan shower curtain and smiled back at Inuyasha, dropping his hand.

"That's a shower….now take one!" She ordered and started to sweep herself out of the room when Inuyasha suddenly spoke.

"Kagome? Do you practice being stupid…or does it come natural?" The hanyou insulted, an odd look on his face. He knew that she knew that he didn't know how to work a shower.

A scowl crossed the miko's face, removing her sweet smile and planting the mad look there as she grasped the doorknob and uttered those dreaded words.

"Sit, boy!"

Kagome was out of the room before she could see Inuyasha's face hit the floor.

The hanyou mumbled something under his breath as he rose from the tiled floor and peered at the shower head. His pain soon subsided and was replaced by pure curiosity. He slowly crept to the tub and carefully stepped inside. He rose a clawed finger and taped the head of the shower. He flinched lightly but nothing happened.

"Mmmm…I don't like this…" He muttered, looking around.

His eyes landed on the handles at the edge of the tub, below the shower head. The curiosity returned like a mischievous child next to a bag they were ordered not to open. Slowly, he bent low and turned the large knob in the middle.

Freezing water spurted from the holes in the shower head and pummeled Inuyasha's form as he thrust himself back, getting his face and clothes drenched.

He let out a loud cry and Kagome came crashing in.

"Inuyasha, you idiot!" She cried, watching the soaked half demon flail around in the cold water that sprayed down on him.

"Turn it off, turn it off, it's cold!" He cried, trying frantically to block the spray from his face with his hands.

"AGH! WHAT KIND OF CONTRAPTION IS THIS!" He screamed, going into hysterics.

"Chill out, Inuyasha! It's just a shower!" Kagome cried back as she made her way over the large puddles on the floor and twisted the knob back the other way. The water cut off and Kagome giggled at seeing Inuyasha all soaked.

"That…was a nightmare!" He said, still dazed and shocked.

"Heh. Now you just smell like a wet dog…Here, let me help." She replied, her face lighting up with a pinkish glow.

She hesitated to make another action. What did she mean to do? What did Inuyasha think she was going to do? She saw the wide eyed look on his face.

She shook her head and reached out to turn the knob back.

"Kagome- NO!"

She turned the knob, along with the one on the right, marked with 'H'.

"AH! NOW IT'S HOT!" The hanyou cried thrusting himself further to get out of the range of spray from the shower.

"Hold on and chill out! It's really relaxing, you'll see. I take one every night." Kagome replied as she turned the knob marked 'C' slightly.

"You torture yourself like this every night?" He exclaimed, shock in his voice. He really didn't understand.

"Yeah…now stand back…." She ordered, pushing her open palms into his chest and forcing him back into the shower.

She watched as the clear water soaked his hair and ran down his handsome features. She froze herself there with her hands on his chest as the water poured down on her as well. Neither of them pulled away. The water was warm and soothing…as soothing at Kagome's touch on Inuyasha.

The miko's heart began to beat rapidly as the water soaked through her shirt, making it transparent and showing what was underneath. She knew Inuyasha had seen her without any cloths before and even if he did happen to look down there, he wouldn't see all the way through. But it still struck her as odd or embarrassing.

She reached for the shampoo on the ledge next to them. She felt her white shirt and green skirt sticking to her skin with every move she made. She could feel amber eyes on her with every move she made. Her cheeks turned a slight pink.

"What are you…" The hanyou started as he watched Kagome squeeze a thick blue liquid from the black bottle.

"Shh…" She hushed him as she rose to her tiptoes and rubbed the shampoo in his silver hair. She moved slowly, relishing the feeling of each silver strand under her fingers.

"What the…." He muttered, crouching somewhat low so she could get to his head better though he acted as if he didn't want her to be doing so.

Their hearts beat rapidly as Kagome gently began the process of washing Inuyasha's hair.

She moved her hands to the back of his head and pulled the remains of his hair to the top of his head so she could shampoo it better and more thoroughly. She scrubbed his hair with her delicate fingers, feeling heat rise into her throat.

"Okay…." She said and let out a soft moan as she lowered herself from her tiptoes for only a moment as she let the suds of shampoo rinse from Inuyasha's hair. It slunk down his back once more as some of the suds rinsed out.

"OW! AH! IT'S IN MY EYES!" He screamed, throwing a hand up to wipe the stinging shampoo from his reddening eyes. Still, the stinging sensation remained.

"Calm down, I've got it, I've got it…" Kagome assured as she reached up her hand and pressed them lightly to Inuyasha's squeezed shut eyes.

She gently rubbed the stinging shampoo from his eyes. She could hear Inuyasha's shallow breaths. He wasn't able to hold them in. His heart was beating too rapidly and everything was happening so fast.

Kagome finally wiped the shampoo from his eyes and began to run her fingers through his hair to push out the rest of the suds as Inuyasha slowly reopened his eyes and blinked several times.

For the first time, his eyes traveled downward to meet with the transparency of Kagome's shirt. His eyes widened at the sight, at first, before his cheeks turned rosy. No matter how much he scolded himself to, he couldn't pull his eyes away. After all, he was a guy. Finally, he manage to pull his eyes to Kagome's brown orbs but his eyes just kept switching between the two. He almost couldn't control himself. The feel of her touch, the sight of her…it was all too much.

Again, Kagome let out a soft moan as she lowered to her heels once more. She heard Inuyasha groan in reply. She looked at him to see him clench his jaw.

"Would you quit moanin' like that, Kagome!" He yelled, startling her somewhat.

"Why?" She answered, her brows furrowing in confusion.

" 'Cause it's driving me insane!" He replied through clenched teeth.

"What do you mean, insane?" Kagome asked, not noticing how far she was really pushing him.

She heard a growl in reply, along with a " Because…Ugh! Kagome!" as he forcefully grasped her forearm and held it tightly as he began to loose himself, her soft moans echoing in his mind. Kagome's irises trembled. He slowly drew the wide eyed and slightly frightened miko closer as water poured down both their bodies.

..:----.--.-.--.----:..

RAPE!

-Cough-

Wha? I had...a...yeah, a cough. Mm-hmm...


	21. Wanting You, Needing You, Loving You

**Chapter 19**

A freezing fall breeze cut through the air and blew back Sango's black hair. It chilled her and made her shudder softly. Kirara's twin tails flicked from side to side as she walked at the slayer's side, back to the hut. A soft noise came from inside and Sango stopped her stride and strained to hear. What was going on in there? Did she want to know?

Quickly, she dashed inside, brown leaves whipping past her bare ankles, exposed by her kimono. She threw aside the grass weaving and thrust herself inside the hut, staying as quiet as she could, her heart beat rising. The cold breeze whipped at her, made her tremble. It was so cold. Why was it so cold? Hadn't summer just ended?

She strained once more to see in the darkness of the hut. The fire had burned out. The soft noise continued. Soft gasps of breath and light moans. The smacking of lips?

"M-Mi…roku…" Sango said, her voice a whispered. His name choked in her throat as her chin trembled. Her breaths trailed in front of her in white clouds.

There he was. That same girl. There he was, pressing her to the wall with his shirtless body, their lips connecting and parting and then connecting again, over and over. That same girl. The one with the freckles. She must have accepted his offer…and he must have taken his chance.

"Miroku…" She uttered his name once more as she raised a trembling hand to cover her mouth. She never really realized how much it hurt her when he did things like this…but he had never done something like this. He had never gotten this far.

'That little wench…' She thought, cruelly, as she watched the monk quickly pull away from the freckle faced girl, breaking their passionate kiss.

"Sango!" He cried, his brows raised.

Did he know what it did to her? Did he know that it killed Sango inside each time that she caught him touching another woman.

"Sango…please…I…" He started but the slayer couldn't stand to hear another word leave his lips.

She backed away, her eyes filling to the brim with tears, bottled up from all the other times that he had merely asked them to bear his children. She finally turned and raced across the leaf coated ground, Kirara staying behind to hiss angrily at the girl who seemed very pleased with herself.

"NO!" The slayer screamed back, her eyes shimmering with tears though no spilled over. She knew she couldn't keep it inside much longer. The dam was about to break.

Miroku raced after her, the upper part of his monk's robe tied around his waist. His eyes wide with shock. Had she really seen it. Had she really seen him about to….

"Sango, please! I'm sorry!" He called out to her, waving his arms as he tried to get her attention.

"NO, Miroku! Don't say you're sorry! I've heard it all before!" She screamed back to him, not bothering to turn around. She didn't want him to see that she was on the verge of tears.

"Sango, please! Listen to me, Sango-Chan!" He called to her, rushing up behind her. He struggled to catch up to her, sweat rolling down the side of his face. His lips burned.

"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT IT DOES TO ME, MIROKU! DO YOU EVEN KNOW?" The slayer cried as she whirled around causing Miroku to nearly slam into her.

"Please, shhh! I'm sorry!" He pleaded, stumbling back.

"NO! NO YOU'RE NOT!" Sango screamed back. She thrust herself forward and without even realizing it, she had slammed her hands into his chest, shoving him back.

A shocked look crossed the monk's face as he stumbled, taking the sudden blow.

"S-Sango…" He muttered, shocked. Sango wore the same look before it was covered by her anger once more.

"Save it!" The angry slayer yelled at him, coming up to him again and shoved him in the shoulders. She raised a hand and struck him over the face. A loud 'pop' sounded as her palm connected with his cheek.

"P-Please, Sango! I'm sorry!" Miroku screamed, a trembling hand raising up to touch his throbbing cheek.

"Save your words, you've gone too far!" She shouted, her voice lowering only half a notch.

Her soft features were twisted in rage and her cheeks were stained red with anger and possibly even hate. She couldn't keep herself from shoving him once more in his bare shoulders.

The monk uttered an exasperated 'oof' as he was shoved back again. He raised his eyes into Sango's and saw the tears that were now trailing down her cheeks. Had he really hurt her that much? Was she really that upset?

"I had no idea…Sango…Please…" He whispered, his shaking hand still over his cheek as he stared at the slayer with guilty and sympathetic eyes.

'I never knew…' He thought, his eyes lowering in shame. '…that she really cared….'

Sango let out a loud sob as she shoved him again, hard, in the shoulders. This time it knocked the monk right off his feet. He stumbled and fell to the grass below.

"Oh…" He murmured as he propped himself up with his arms and stared up at Sango. He stayed silent. What was there to say to her. She was so upset. She had hit Miroku tons of times for touching her…but this time he didn't touch her…he corroded her heart.

"You're such an idiot!" She screamed down to him, her eyes welling up once more and two new tears passing over her thick lashes and trailing down her red cheeks. "Are you really that oblivious?"

She choked out another sob as she watched Miroku's eyes trail away from hers.

'He's so ashamed…' She thought. 'he should be.'

A flame flicked inside of the slayer and her eyes widened suddenly. She stared down at Miroku's guilty look and couldn't help herself from dropping to the ground, over him. She kneeled between his parted legs and brought her face close to his. It all happened to them both as if it was in slow motion. As if each second passed as a minute as Sango's lips connected with Miroku's.

---------

"Inuyasha? What are doing?" Kagome asked, her voice choking as she began to tremble. Why was he holding her and looking at her like that? What was he planning to do.

'She's so….different…' The inu hanyou thought as he peered into the miko's eyes. It was true. Kagome had grown since they first met. She was more of a woman than ever and Inuyasha felt those feelings again that he got from time to time when he was around Kagome.

Peering into her soulful brown eyes, he became hungry. He could feel his throat tighten and saliva form inside his mouth. Chocolate. Like chocolate. And her hair. Like licorice plastered to the sides of her face and forehead. His grip tightened around her arm as he pulled her even closer.

"Inu…yasha?" She spoke his name slowly and carefully and she placed her other hand against his chest to brace herself from falling heavily against him.

Slowly, the hanyou released his grip on her arm, his senses finally finding him again. What had just happened? How could he have lost control like that? He had almost done something to Kagome, hadn't he? He had almost…

Kagome shrank back and held her arms over her chest. She knew he had seen. Her cheekbones seemed forever stained that pink color. That color seemed to always be there when she was around Inuyasha.

"That'll do for now. You can wash the rest of yourself tomorrow or something…" She murmured.

Slowly she stepped back and turned the knob. The water cut off and Inuyasha blinked harshly in reply. Kagome slowly slipped out of the tub and turned and hurried out of the bathroom without another glance.

'I scared her…She was scared of me…' The hanyou thought, staring at her as she hurried off. His arm slowly dropped back to his side. 'She should be…for her own good…'

---------

Miroku's eyes remained wide as Sango pushed against him, kissing him with shocking gentleness. His blue eyes stared straight forward, his irises trembled rapidly as his lips parted in adjustment.

The monk couldn't think, couldn't move, couldn't do anything but let the beautiful slayer slowly begin to kiss him with passion she had held inside herself for so long.

Slowly, a hand spread over the slayer's lower back as Miroku gradually gave in to the kiss that he knew they had both been dying to share.

His eyes closed as he returned the kiss affectionately. So long…he had waited for Sango. He had waited so long that he had convinced himself that the slayer felt nothing for him.

Miroku slowly and rather grudgingly withdrew from the kiss but his lips stayed close to hers. He waited a moment, feeling her hot breaths against his face as she peered back at him with teary eyes.

"Sango…you mean more to me than you know…" He whispered to her and only her. Only she could hear those words and they were meant only for her.

After those words, their lips connected once more in another passionate kiss that made Miroku tremble. Sango remained strong, but Miroku's one weakness was good looking women and here one was, kissing him.

The monk's only arm that held him up shook from the weight until it finally gave way and the two fell to the grass, locked in their kiss that they had been dying to share for so long. The passion that had built up finally spilling through their lips and mouths.

..:-----.-.--.-----:...

Hey! Kagome and Inuyasha aren't the ONLY ones in the group!

-snort-

Hope you had fun with this one...there's so much more just dyin' to be read.


	22. Get out, Come Back

Chapter 20

"One two three!" Souta cried as he jumped up from the couch, throwing his hands into the air.

"You didn't hide!" He yelled to Kagome who sat, chin in hand, at the kitchen table. She stared down at her homework that was spread over the table.

"No, Souta. I'm not in the mood. I did really badly on my test and I have homework to do. Besides, don't you think you're a little old for hide and seek?" The miko replied, hardly paying attention to her little brother.

"How'd they get in there?…" Inuyasha murmured to himself as he tapped at the TV screen with one long nail.

"Inuyasha! Won't you play hide and seek with me?" Souta pleaded to the hanyou, far off in his own world.

"Have you taken a shower yet, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, trying to get off the subject of hide and seek. Just then did she realize how motherly she had just sounded and what awkward feelings the thought brought back.

"No..." The hanyou muttered. The tone of his voice exposed feelings about not being too thrilled about the whole thing.  
"Well...and stop poking at the TV screen!" Kagome cried to him, seeing the tip of his index finger on the screen.  
"Curiosity killed the cat, you know." She added  
"I'm a dog demon, Kagome..." He retorted rather scornfully as his finger dropped from the screen though he kept a close eye on the little people moving inside.  
"Whatever. Curiosity might as kill the dog as well..." She replied, moving her eyes back to the homework completely in Japanese, that lay in front of her.  
She let out a deep sigh. She didn't know how to do this. She cursed herself for not studying like a crazy maniac the night of the test.  
"What's that mean?" Inuyasha asked, over her shoulder once again, staring at the letters and symbols on the page.  
"Don't start this again." Kagome said, dropping her head to the tabletop.  
"Five...I think the answer is five..." He said, softly but surely.  
"What..." Kagome asked, her voice low and muffled. She slowly lifted her head to look at Inuyasha, who's brows were angled inward in thought.  
"What are you talking about, Inuyasha...you don't know how to do my math..." The miko said, still confused and obvious that she didn't have confidence in the hanyou in this.  
He looked to, a slight smile on his face as he eyes sparkled. Kagome's eyes widened.  
"No...but I do know how to do this. When I was a pup...I used to play ball...and I kept count of score...it was the only thing they'd let me do. Sometimes, not even that…and this was the way we did it." He explained, placing a finger to the paper in front of Kagome.  
"It's five.." He stated again, sure of himself. He should be. The answer was correct.  
The hanyou drew back, his eyes solemn at the thought of his childhood. How no one would play ball with him because he was a half demon. A mix breed. A half breed. A mutt.  
"Wait..." Kagome said, counting something on her fingers really quickly. "You're...right..."  
"Told ya." Inuyasha said, stepping back further and turning back to the TV.  
"Well...what about this one?" The miko asked, turning around to look at Inuyasha.  
Souta grumbled something from over on the couch as he flipped through the channels.  
"I ain't your teacher!" He cried, not bothering to turn back around and help her. He heard the miko sigh...and he couldn't resist.  
"Thirty-two." He stated, turning back around and stepping to Kagome.

"How do you know? I mean- how do you do it?" She asked, her eyes squinting at the letters, symbols, and numbers on the page.

She heard Inuyasha utter a low moan as she asked for more of his help. She still didn't see how this hanyou from five hundred years ago could possible understand her math.

"Ugh…well…I don't know any of these freak symbols but I know I'm doin' this right. So…listen up 'cause I ain't explainin' it again." He said, crouching to the ground beside Kagome and taking another glance at her text book.

"Thanks…" The miko muttered, actually flattered that he was really going to help her with her homework. It didn't seem like something Inuyasha would do. He was really changing…or had this been the real him all along?

---------------

"Aren't you _done _yet?" Souta called from the living room. Obviously, he had not given up on his crave to play hide and seek with Kagome.

"Yeah, Yeah, keep your shorts on." Inuyasha called back to the young brother as he watched Kagome write down the answer to her last question.

''Okay! Hide and seek!" Kagome shouted to her little brother, finally in a good mood as she jumped from the chair.

"You mean your actually going to play with him?" The inu demon asked her as she made her way back to the living room.

"YES!" Souta screamed, jumping up once more from the couch and tearing his eyes from the TV screen.

"Why not? You don't have to. While I'm playing with Souta, you can take your shower." Kagome said, turning back around for a moment to look Inuyasha in the eye with a slight mischievous grin.

He grumbled something under his breath as he stood once more and stuffed his arms into his kimono sleeves.

"Fine…but I don't trust that thing." He said and waited a moment. "And if it gets all hot and cold on me, I'm out." He added.

"Fine with me! Don't burn or freeze your hide off!" The miko said, smiling at her own little joke as Inuyasha grumbled again and stomped to the bathroom around the corner.

--------

Kagome crossed her legs beneath her as she peered down at the book that spread across her sheets.

"Finally. A book without numbers and symbols!" She cried, letting out a low sigh of relief that her homework was finally done.

She could hear the shower going downstairs. Has Inuyasha finally gotten the hang of it? She doubted it. She wouldn't be surprised if he was running around downstairs with suds in his eyes.

As Kagome began to chuckle from the thought, she hear footsteps stop in the doorway. Her eyes slowly raised only to widen at the sight. A pinkish glow sizzled over her cheeks.

"Damn…." Was all the hanyou could say as he stood, water dripping from his completely bare body as he stood in the doorway, exposed, and staring at Kagome.

The miko's eyes locked on him and slowly moved up and down. Her head felt dizzy. She had only seen him like this maybe once before. How many times had he seen her? Tons.

"Inu…yasha?" She said, her voice cracking.

"WELL, DON'T LOOK AT ME!" He cried, thrusting his kimono shirts and pants over his body.

"Don't stand in my doorway, naked, then!" She cried back, jumping from the bed, unable to tear her eyes away.

Another blanket of silence fell over them. This time they just stood there, staring at each other as if they meant to say something but were still trying play over what exactly they were going to say, in their minds.

Finally, the dazed miko snapped back to reality and her brown eyes widened. Her face flushed and her jaw dropped.

"AGH! INUYASHA! GET OUT! GET SOME CLOTHES ON! OH MY GOD!" She cried, rushing back and nearly toppling over her side table.

When the hanyou didn't react and his golden eyes just remained widened at Kagome, the miko knew she had to get out or stop looking at him or _something _!

"I'm…going to take _my _shower, then…" Kagome said under her breath as she lowered her eyes and rushed to the door. As she passed Inuyasha, she could smell the shampoo. He had actually taken a shower. He hadn't needed her help after all.

..:----.---.--..--:...

Okay...that makes me SO mad...

The top won't come off of the peanut butter jar!

-struggles-

Eh? Oh. And that also makes me mad! That little chapter right there...yeeeahhh...seriously hadn't seen that episode yet. It sucks, huh? Yeah. Didn't copywrite, I promise.

Just don't sue me.


	23. I Love You

**Chapter 21**

"Oh…Sango…" Miroku groaned in a way that made Sango growl in reply as he shifted his legs that sprawled beneath the slayer

"Stop saying my name like that. You're so perverted…" Sango said, breaking her chain of soft kisses on his neck. She said it so scornfully but it didn't stop her from continuing.

She grasped Miroku at the bare shoulders as she pressed the monk stiffly to the wall of Keade's hut. Sango pressed her lips back to his in another kiss. All that passion that had built up inside of them over the years of traveling together was finally being released. Slowly. Bit by bit with each kiss they shared.

They both knew it wasn't right, that it would ruin everything, that the old miko could walk in at any moment and see Sango in Miroku's lap, kissing him as she pushed him up against the wall by his shoulders.

"I…" Miroku took two seconds to speak as Sango pulled away to take a short breath. Before he could get anything else out, he pulled her close once more for another kiss.

"I…I love you, Sango…" He said, his tone rushed as he tried to slip the words between their kisses.

She stopped and her head pulled back to gaze into his dark blue eyes. A look of shock plastered to her face as her grip on his shoulders, slick with sweat, loosened. Now it was as if she wasn't really hearing the words from his lips. Like she never even saw his lips move unless they moved against hers.

Their chests heaved as they let out deep and exasperated breaths. Thin wisps of white traveled from their open mouths. It was so cold. Goose bumps covered Miroku's bare arms, his shirt still wrapped around his waist.

'He really loves me. I…never would have guessed…that he really is in love with me. I could've sworn…he was doing this for his…pleasure…' Sango thought as her eyes lowered and tears almost began to form in the corners of her eyes. They felt as they were freezing there in the cold winds that rushed through the hut. Sango began to tremble furiously.

"What's wrong? You're…You're trembling, Sango! Do you not…love me back?" Miroku asked as he slipped his warming arms tightly around Sango's waist and pulled her feminine form closer to him to stop her trembling.

'She…But she kissed me…how can she not love me? Those kisses…they meant nothing?' The monk thought, his face lowering.

"Miroku…I love you. Please don't think I'm not in love with you. But I'm so cold…" She murmured so softly that he could barely hear it. Their breaths continued to float in front of them like ghosts, haunting them of what they were doing.

"Let me warm you up, then…My Sango…" The pervert of a monk whispered to her, going back to his old ways as he pulled her tightly to him and her head tilted to the side for their lips to connect once more.

He had used the words 'my Sango'. That was appropriate. She belonged to him that night. She belonged to him and he belonged to her. Even if it was for just one night.

..:---.-.--..--..---:..

Yeah. Just thought that deserved it's own little chapter.

...Yup...-nodnod-

Kay, let's continue, shall we?


	24. Naked Around You

**Chapter 22**

The hanyou raised his nose to the air and drew in a deep breath as the smell of strawberry shampoo invaded the air. He loved that smell. Kagome's scent. No matter how many times he had told her that he couldn't stand her scent, he always found himself sniffing in the air around her, trying to draw in breath after breath of her sweet fragrance.

He slid from the silky bed and popped his head out of the room to look down the hallway. He thought about before, when Kagome had seen him without any clothes. That hadn't been the first time, had it? He didn't keep track of those types of things. He tried to forget them, if anything.

He hopped down the stairs and was greeted by a cloud of steam, trailing from the open bathroom door. Inuyasha could hear a soft sigh and immediately felt sorry for coming down in the first place. He knew what happened next and he knew he wouldn't be able to do anything to stop it.

Soft, bare, feet padded against the carpet. Droplets of crystalline water trickling off her bare body and soaked into the white carpet beneath her feet. The steam finally began to clear and Inuyasha's heart began to pound as the figure within the foggy glaze was revealed.

Kagome.

She stood so poised, so angelic, with her black hair, soaked and curled by the warm water she had bathed in, dangling over her pale shoulders. Her hazel brown eyes gazing straight at the hanyou, their irises quivering as her full lips parted. She was barely a figure in the haze. Just a faint outline, a glow, in the fuzziness.

Inuyasha stood, dazed by all that she was. Her soft sighs, her perfectly poised body, her lingering scent.

He waited for it, knowing it would come. He had seen what he had seen and now he had to pay the price, take his punishment for gazing upon her unclothed body once again.

"Inuyasha…" She said, her voice so light and innocent. Something that not many had. True innocence. The voice of a goddess.

He turned away, wishing she'd just say it and get it over with. Wishing that she'd just plow his face into the ground again with that one simple word. 'Sit'. So why was the area silent?

His sparkling golden eyes traveled back to Kagome as the blanket of silence smothered him. It choked him until he was unable to speak and barely able to see Kagome in front of him anymore.

"W-What…are you doing?" She asked, her voice as innocent as it had been when she had spoken his name just a few moments ago.

"Now…Now we're even." Inuyasha said, his voice soft, as if he was trying to sound as innocent as her for that one second.

Kagome didn't speak. It looked as if the miko wasn't even breathing but perhaps that was because Inuyasha didn't dare look down to her chest to see if it rose and fell with her shallow breaths. Her hazel brown eyes glistened and shook as she peered back at Inuyasha with quivering lips parted. Her eyes were so hypnotizing and beautiful to the hanyou. He lost himself in them, unable to speak. He watched her eyes, watched himself in her eyes until thick lashes periodically corrupted the gleaming orbs of brown.

Kagome's eyes shimmered in the foggy haze, locked onto Inuyasha's as her brows slightly angled inward. She had an excuse, now, to use the command and send him to the floor beneath her feet. Still, she did not. What kept her? The fact that he might have done it on accident? All the rest of the times could have been on accident but she had uttered the word then. Why not, now?

The speechless hanyou stepped closer and a small gasp left the miko's lips. She shuddered and moved one foot back, water coating her pale skin and making it glitter in the fogged light that burned through the steam that surrounded them.

Somehow, the two seemed to lose all sense of time. They continued to stand there, the awkward sheet of silence tangling around them both and choking the words from their throats…if they ever did decide to speak to one another. How long had they been there? An hour? Why didn't one of them move?

Their cheeks, the color of pale rose petals, burned and throbbed. Neither of them knew what was going to happen next, what the other person was going to say, do, or think. The moment needed to end. It needed to end before it smothered them, choked them, suffocated them and the silence deafened.

Gathering the will and courage, Inuyasha pulled his locked amber eyes from her angelic form. He let out a short breath and rose a clawed hand and pressed it over his eyes. He knew he would just look back at her if he didn't do so.

He listened to her bare feet pad back into the bathroom. He heard the rustling of a towel and how she wrapped it over her shivering body. She hadn't noticed how cold she was getting, standing and staring like that.

Another choked breath pushed from Inuyasha's throat as he held his hand over his eyes, his claws digging into the skin on his cheeks.

He heard Kagome's feet pad over the carpet in front of him and dash up the stairs. He slowly dropped his hand from his eyes and pushed a forced breath through pressed lips. Had he really stopped breathing during that moment? It had seemed as though time had stopped. Had it really? It sure felt like it. Like neither of them could move because time had completely stopped and frozen them there.

The white haze had faded and left the dazed hanyou in silence once again. That stupid silence.

"RAAH!" He cried out and lashed at the air. He couldn't take the silence anymore and he couldn't make it stop.

He pinned his white dog ears to his head and tried to shut out the silence…but that resulted in more silence.

Slowly, the hanyou mounted the stairs, careful to go slow to make sure the miko was fully dressed by the time he got there. He was never one for knocking. Strangely, the steps never seemed to end. Maybe it was just the dazed half-demon but step after step, the staircase never seemed to end. Finally, he let out a relieved breath as he reached the top.

The hanyou was silent as he entered Kagome's room. He found her settled on her bed. He felt heat rise to his cheeks at seeing that she still wasn't dressed but instead, wore a large, fluffy bathrobe. He quickly lowered his eyes.

"Do you want to…sit down?" Kagome's soft voice suddenly cut through his thoughts and forced his sun-golden eyes upward to look upon her again.

He didn't say a word as he stepped over to the side of the silken bed. He took a moment, a dramatic pause, before he slid onto the surface and pulled his legs inward, into an Indian style sitting position. He glanced back up at Kagome but quickly down once more. It wasn't so much that he felt awkward around her. He didn't really know why he looked away from her. It left the miko confused.

'He looks…so embarrassed…' She thought, staring straight at him as the pounding of footsteps echoed down the corridor.

"Sis? Hey, where'd you put the remote!" Souta cried, bursting in without warning. He had to catch himself on the doorframe to keep from toppling over and onto the carpet.

"Um…Did you check on top of the TV?" Kagome replied, pulling her eyes away from Inuyasha to look at her brother. "And don't you ever knock?" She added.

"Uh...no…I…" Souta stopped as he finally realized the look of the situation. Maybe it was the fact that Kagome was sitting on her bed in a loose bathrobe with Inuyasha who had such a guilty expression on his face.

Slowly, a smile began to form on his lips. Inuyasha and Kagome. He had always loved that idea. The idea of having Inuyasha as a big brother. Slowly, he took a step back, ready to give them their private time.

Inuyasha stared at Souta, the same expression on his face though a sad thought dwelled inside. Souta. Such a young, rambunctious kid. A little brother. A sibling. Kagome had a real family while Inuyasha had grown up with none.

'Now…I see why Kagome wants to come back here so much. To see her family…I guess…I never realized how special a family could be…just because I never really had one.' He thought, his eyes lowering.

Souta quickly darted from the room. Kagome listened to his steps fly down the stairs before she finally returned her attention back to the hanyou before her. He looked saddened and she seemed to know why. She had seen the way he had looked at Souta with such envy.

"You…never got along with your brother?" She asked in nearly a whisper. She could tell that the hanyou was envious of her relationship with her brother.

"What's it to you?" He grumbled, his head lowering.

"I don't know...I was just wondering. You know you've never really...opened up to me before. You've never really talked to me..." Kagome said, turning away as the corners of her eyes began to prickle and the rims turned red.  
Inuyasha turned his golden eyes back to her with a sorrowful expression. Something else was on his mind. His past? His family?  
"Huh? Hey! Don't tell me you're gonna cry!" He said, leaning forward and tilting his head to the side to get a better look at the miko's face. She looked so sad, so hurt that he wouldn't talk to her.  
"No...I...never had a real family." He said. How could he resist her? How could he sit there and watch her shed tears because of him.  
"W-" Kagome started as yet another silence fell over them. Inuyasha's voice suddenly cut through her words but he voice was so choked and strained as if something hurtful was on his mind.  
"I never met my dad...you know...He died before I was born." He said, pausing more a moment but not taking his eyes from his feet.  
"He died...for me. I guess I appreciate it, you know. But I hate it. Sesshomaru..." He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, as if not wanting to remember. But it was too late. The thoughts were already in his mind, already haunting him again.  
"He blamed you for his death..." Kagome finished for him, scooting across the bedspread, closer to the hanyou.  
"Yeah...Ma told me she died too...before I was born. I guess I was confused...until she told me my father brought her back...with Tenseiga. He gave that sword to Sesshomaru and his Tessaiga to me, in my...eye. Sometimes I wonder if he ever really used Tessaiga, if he really ever held it like he held Sesshomaru's sword. Ha! It's not like I want that blunt blade that he carries around...I was just wondering." Inuyasha continued, his eyes narrowed and glaring down at his fingers as he picked at the soft material of the bed.  
"Anyway." He stopped. He didn't want to say anymore but the words just tumbled out like a waterfall of memories he just had to think aloud. "I never had a real brother...like you have. I never had someone to play with, all because I wasn't either. I wasn't a demon and I wasn't a human. Neither would accept me...because I was a stupid little 'half-breed'. A runt. It was always: 'you gotta be hard, you gotta be strong, you gotta be tough, you gotta be fearless, you gotta be big, you gotta be un-breakable, you gotta be un-tamable, you gotta be loveless, you just gotta…be everything…'. But I wasn't the only one that was turned away. Do you know the stuff my mom went through? She had to deal with it as much as me. They teased her of having me just as much as they teased me. Damn. That's when it all started. I just hated everyone for treating her like that. I wanted to kill them all...and then when my mom died...I guess I just lost it. I was young, a lot younger than I am now...It was so long ago but I can still remember it. Crystal clear. I can still see her tears. I can still smell and feel and taste them like I'm there all over again."  
Kagome tilted her head, her raven black hair falling over her face as she listened and watched the hanyou intently. It was like he wasn't really talking to her but just talking to get so much off his chest. She didn't care. This had to be the first time he really opened up so much.  
"I left...and I killed some too...I completely lost it. I...I trashed the village and injured people that had teased me as a kid. I even hurt and killed people I didn't know. I was just...so mad. And then I went to another village, that same anger still burning inside of me. Then...I met her. I felt something really weird when I looked at her. She was just so beautiful and kind and...innocent...but dark and mysterious at the same time. Then I finally...finally...realized what that feeling was. Love. It took me too long to figure out what that stupid feeling was. So I loved her. And she loved me back. It was against all 'laws of nature' or whatever those other old hags of the village said. They said it wasn't right for a mortal and demon to be in love. But they were wrong. I wasn't a demon...I'm not a demon. I'm half human too...half of her kind."

He looked up, finally realizing what he was getting into. He was telling Kagome how he fell in love with Kikyou and how it all happened. He never stopped to think that it hurt her by the slightest bit.  
Now, as he looked at her, at how she clenched and unclenched her jaw and stared down at the bedspread.  
"Forget it. I'm stopping here." He said, his eyes turning away. He suddenly clenched his fist, his long nails piercing the skin of his palm. He felt the sharp blades sink in and sting slightly.  
"No." Kagome said quickly. When Inuyasha looked back at her, he saw that she stared up at him with teary eyes. And she wanted him to continue? "I want to know..."  
'I know it hurts...it hurts a lot. He really loves her. He loved her then and he loves her now. Now I know I can't change that. And as much as it hurts...I want to know.' She thought, clenching a fist tightly and then easing her grip as she lowered eyes again to wait for more.

His lips parted, amber eyes dancing over her features. He stumbled on his words, thinking them over, modifying them a thousand time over before he began to speak again. But even as he did, the miko felt like he was leaving so much out, like he had skipped so much, carved a whole part of his life out to avoid hurting her. She didn't say a word, only listened.  
"We...we were a couple...we...I loved her so much...and she loved me too, even though she knew about my plans of becoming a full fledged demon. I really wanted that. I...still do. But she wanted me to become human. She told me I could...and one day I told her I would...for her...I was serious, she knew that. I wanted to make her happy, I wanted to be with her. And I was willing to give up everything for her. Then that bastard! Naraku. Damn him! I was on my way to meet her…to become human just for her. But he got to her first. He...he must have done something...he...told her something...and then killed her. He killed her! And...all along...she thought it was me. After she was gone, I lost all sense of that feeling. I didn't feel it for anyone anymore and after awhile, I forgot what it ever felt like in the first place. Then I met you. After that, I was just looking for a place to go, to be safe...and for other people to be safe from me. I was searching for a new beginning and a reason for living again than being stuck to that tree again. It took me so long to realize that I did have a life again...with you and Sango, Miroku and all of them. No, Kagome. I don't have a real family. I don't have a brother like Souta or a real 'girlfriend' like that Hobo guy, whatever, or a mom like your mom or a dad...all I have...is...is you, Kagome."  
Her eyes raised back to his, tears glistening at the rims. Without another word, the miko slipped into his arms and pushed her face into his chest, burying herself in his baggy red kimono. She could feel the hanyou's muscles tense in surprise as she held him.  
"I don't have a dad either...and it's Hojou...and he is not ...my boyfriend." She said in a whisper as she closed her eyes and felt Inuyasha's warm arms wrap over her slender body in a tender embrace and his head rest against hers as he sucked in the sweet Strawberry and Sakura Blossom fragrance of her still dampened hair.  
"Thank you, Inuyasha. You have no idea...how much that meant to me...you really don't"

..:----..--.-.--..----:..

I was awefully nervous about making this chapter, to tell the truth. As probably already know, I haven't completed the series yet. So, I'm not sure about getting the entire past right. I know I have a whole thing pushed in there, but it won't show up or make sense till later, so just ignore all that I just said.

Imma freak, I know.


	25. I'm In Love With A Pervert

**Chapter 23**

Sango ripped away, her eyes wide. What was she doing? She was going completely crazy with the pervert of a monk. Stop. She ordered herself to stop as she fell back, her arms propping her up behind her.  
"S-Sango?" Miroku muttered, surprised as well. He had a right. One minute she was hitting him and screaming at him and the next she was kissing him like she really loved him. Now, she was staring at him like he was completely crazy.  
Both their chests heaved as they drew in deep breaths they weren't able to take before.  
Miroku slumped back against the wall and blinked again and again. He tried to steady his heart but the rapid beat wouldn't slow.  
"Are you alright? Sango...I thought you were going to bear my children. Why'd you stop now?" He asked, leaning forward, an innocent look on his face despite the perverted question.  
Sango gritted her teeth as she raised a flat hand. Swiftly, the palm connected with his cheek. As Miroku placed his hand over Sango's red handprint, the slayer began to laugh.  
Needless to say, Miroku was too confused for words. He raised his brows and looked at Sango, returning the stare as if she were crazy.  
"Uh..." He murmured, rubbing his cheek as Sango laughed gleefully.  
At first, he thought she had been possessed the entire time. How cruel for someone to do that. But then he caught the look in her eye as her laughing finally began to slow.  
"..I...love you, Miroku, you perverted monk!" She said, shaking her head. He began to laugh as well. They laughed together over the whole thing.

Sango pressed gently against him, her cheek to his naked chest. Miroku wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly around her lower back. He kept his hands in respectable places. He didn't want to ruin the moment. They sat there as the laughing slowed.

"Do you really love me?" Miroku piped up a few minutes later, the silence beginning to be too much.

Moments passed without a reply, only adding to the silence that had mounted once more. It took awhile for the monk to glance down at the soundly sleeping slayer that rest in his arms.

He smiled, the widest smile he had ever before and the one with the most glee and pure happiness. This moment, if only for that night, he was so glad what path destiny had led them down.

..:------.-.--..-.----:..

Again with the Sango-Miroku moment...alone...in a chapter.

That was odd.

ANYWAYZ!


	26. Shut My Mouth, Carry On

**Chapter 24**

"I have school…tomorrow…" Kagome muttered, pulling the silken sheets to her chin, her eyes shut tightly.

"Your point?" Inuyasha retorted, his chin rested on the edge of the bed as he sat, cross legged, on the pillow Kagome had provided for him on the floor.

"Dunno…" The miko whispered back, nearly asleep.

Only a few moments ago, they had been holding each other with such protective arms and now here they were once more, back to normal again.

Kagome's long, dark lashes parted to reveal chocolate brown eyes that peered down at the sheets with a blank expression before narrowing.

"Hey…You're bleeding…" She said softly, her eyes following the small, round droplets of crimson that led to Inuyasha's arms, spread over the bed in front of him.

"What? Oh…whatever…it doesn't hurt." He said, turning over his palm to look at the small puncture wounds where his nails had pierced. He hadn't even noticed at all.

"Let me see it…" Kagome whispered, pulling lightly from the bed to hover over Inuyasha. She was always so protective of him and his wounds no matter what the size.

"What's your problem, Kagome? It's just a little cut!" Inuyasha replied, attempting to pull away his hand but a thin hand grasped his fingers and brought them back.

"I just want to see it…" She said, pulling the hand closer to her with no regard to the expression on the hanyou's face.

"No, it's nothing!" Inuyasha said, pulling his hand back, her touch warm and tingling but so awkward.

"So, you're bleeding! I just want to see it!" Kagome replied, tugging his hand back though he continued to edge away, his fingers twitching under her grasp.

"Ughhh…fine." The hanyou said, pulling from her grip and opening his palm to push it into Kagome's face.

The miko edged closer, staring at the tiny cuts. It really was nothing to a half demon like Inuyasha but still Kagome was concerned.

"W-what are you doing?" Inuyasha asked as Kagome suddenly leaned close, pulling his hand to her face. His fingers curled as he let his hand relax under her soft touch. She brought it closer and closer until her lips nearly brushed over his palm.

"Hey! What are you doing!" The confused and embarrassed hanyou cried, thrusting back out of Kagome's grasp.

She slowly shrank back, her eyes barely open. She looked so tired that it would be semi believable that she was sleeping the whole time.

"If you…kiss a cut….it'll heal faster." She finally replied, closing her eyes again and laying back down, the covers nearly over her head.

Inuyasha leaned back on the pillow, his arms the only thing propping him up. His amber-gold eyes wide with shock at her statement and actions. Was she really about to kiss his palm, claiming it was for mere good luck? Why had he pulled away if the look in his eyes proved otherwise than that he wanted to pull away.

"T-That's ridiculous…" He stuttered, heat rushing to his face as he stared anxiously at Kagome.

He felt his palm tingling. He even thought he could feel the gentle kiss of Kagome's lips on his palm. The shocked hanyou shook his hand wildly to rid the feeling. If it wasn't happening, he didn't want to be teased of it.

Everything was silent for a moment. Neither of them spoke. Most likely because Kagome was already asleep and Inuyasha was still too shocked and dumbfounded to say something.

"K-Kagome?" He mumbled out, his voice choking in his throat as he sat up straight and reached out his throbbing hand. He touched her back gently. When she didn't move, Inuyasha slowly pulled himself up onto the comfortable bed. He laid down next to Kagome, rocking the bed only slightly as he relaxed with a smile. Now, he found himself wondering if he secretly slept up there because the bed was so comfortable…or because of Kagome.

He lay wide awake, his hand tingling. He knew he had to admit it, if only to himself, before he could get any sleep.

'Well…' He thought. 'If she had….maybe…it wouldn't have been so bad…'

Darkness rimmed his sight as his lids slowly dropped, his tiredness catching up with him. The last thing the hanyou saw was Kagome's relaxed and sleeping features as he drifted off to sleep.

-------------

Light poured into the room and stung the eyes of the hanyou who leaned comfortably against the bed.  
"Uh...ugh..." He moaned as the light filtered through the billowing curtains and shown through his lids.  
A clawed hand raised to his face to rub away the sleep in his eyes as he finally began to wake. He didn't need to blink or even wait that long for his amber eyes to adjust to the new lighting of the pink and white girl's room.  
"Kagome?" He called out the girl's name and upon hearing no reply, pulled himself around to look at the bed he had been leaning against.  
The silken bedspread was thrown carelessly to the end of the bed where it lay, crumpled. The pillow had a soft dent in the middle where the mortal's head had lain. A small frown tugged at the corners of Inuyasha's mouth at the empty sight.  
He moved an arm over the sheets, taking in the scent that hit him harshly as he turned closer to the bed where the miko had laid. His hands moved over the soft sheets. It was still warm.  
A sudden, sharp beep snatched Inuyasha's attention away from the warm feel of the bed. The ears perched upon his head flicked towards the noise and then flattened to his skull.  
"What the...!" He cried, his eyes examining the contraption on the bedside table that gave off an irritating shriek.  
He reached over and slammed his hand on the top of it.  
"No way!" He cried, shaking the item harshly as the constant beeping only began to get louder. He remembered it. Awhile before, he had come in contact with the thing and ended up smashing it to bits.  
'This must be a new one!' He thought, horrified. 'Why does she keep getting these things?'  
He hit and shook the alarm clock again and again until the beeping finally slowed and became somewhat distorted. He waited a moment, everything becoming quieter. Suddenly, it started up again.  
"AH!" Inuyasha screamed, finally fed up with the contraption.  
He held the clock tightly in his hand as he brought it back and heaved it out the open window. It made a soft whooshing sound as it brushed past the curtains, followed by a violent cracking noise as it collided with the ground below.  
Inuyasha's ears, active now, began to twitch as a light scent drifted to his nose.  
"Well...there goes another one of Kagome's good alarm clocks." A boy's voice piped from the doorway.  
The hanyou whirled around, his golden eyes meeting with young brown eyes.  
"Do people in this family usually pop up at random times without warning?" Inuyasha pointed out blankly.  
"We do it special for you." Souta replied, grinning as he stepped into the room, his eyes lighting up.  
"Feh. Whatever." The hanyou replied, turning his head to face the window as a light breeze pulled through. "Where's Kagome?"  
"You just missed her. She has school until Friday, you know. I think she said she had it on the weekends, too." Souta said, leaning closer to Inuyasha, taking him as a big brother once again. The hanyou didn't mind too much.  
"And what's a Friday?" He asked, pulling his pale arms into his big kimono sleeves. A sigh escaped Souta's lips.  
"A day of the week." He said, raising a brow slightly as he looked at the hanyou.  
"And when is that?"  
Souta rolled his eyes a little and pulled himself back to the doorway as another grin slipped over his face.  
"Mama made breakfast. She made ramen!" the little boy exclaimed, expecting at least some kind of reaction from the hanyou.  
Inuyasha moved one clawed hand through his silver hair as he blew out a soft breath through pressed lips. His mind had wandered, obviously some time ago.  
"Inuyasha? Hey! I said ramen!" Souta cried, stepping over and poking him in the shoulder. He didn't budge an inch.  
"Huh? Did you say ramen?" The hanyou finally reacted, running a pink tongue over his dry lips.  
"Yeah!"  
Inuyasha stood and watched Souta bound out before him, expecting him to follow. So he would. He stepped forward, stopping at the wooden desk, something catching his amber eye. He didn't have to tell Souta not to wait up, he was already down the stairs and eating the ramen. Inuyasha could smell it.  
The hanyou's fingers slid onto the edge of the desk as he stared down at the book. Kagome's art book. The curiosity to see any new pictures ticked at his brain. He couldn't help but flip open the book.  
'Just a quick look. No one will know.' He told himself as he flipped through the first pages of Sango and Kirara, then Sango and Kohaku, then Sango and Miroku, Miroku and some random girl, Shippo, and then all of them together. Page after page until Inuyasha's hand began to tremble. Had he imagined it all? All the pictures of him in glory, relaxation, anger, and sadness? Him in every way that the miko had seen him and even in ways she had not?  
Page after page, he turned, searching for the pictures until everything was white. Blank. He had gone into blank pages. Had he really imagined them all? He didn't stop turning. Again and again until he almost felt like tearing the entire book apart. Page after page until dark sketches shot into sight. He stopped and stared down at the drawings. It was him. He lay on the floor, Kagome's hand clutched in his. It was the same one he had seen some time before. But why were they all the way at the back? Inuyasha couldn't remember them being like that before.  
He flipped through a few more familiarly detailed pictures until he came across one he had never seen before.  
There he was, smack dab in the very middle of the page. Everything about him was so real looking. It looked exactly like the real him. All those times, he guessed, that she stared intently at him, she had all those times to look back on as she drew him like this.

There he was. And there she was too. Inuyasha realized that the drawing was drawn recently as he brushed away a few eraser shavings and realized when the drawing took place. In that very bedroom. Kagome lay stretched across the bed, her head at the bottom of the bed and her feet just before her pillow, her knees pulled in. She was fast asleep, a limp hand pressed to the bed in front of her face. Then there was him. Inuyasha leaned against the bed as he had been since a few hours ago when he climbed out of Kagome's bed. His head hung low as he slept soundly. The both of them so relaxed, so at ease as they slept. Inuyasha could only wish he could sleep so peacefully.

..:-----...-.-.---..----:..

So...Ta-da...this one was pretty nifty, ne?

Well, I kinda liked it...and it's a sight to see when I like my own work.

Really, so...yeah.

You know what I just noticed...

You can't type two pieces of puncuation right after one another...so if a character was yelling and asking a question at the same time, either the question mark or the exclamation point would show up. That bugs me...dunno why...-twitch-


	27. Kiss Me Amoung Ghosts

**Chapter 25**

"It's not that bad..." Eri said, a hand on Kagome's back to comfort the upset miko.  
"Not that bad? Eri! I got an F!" Kagome cried back, pushing her face into her hands as she slumped over the table of her favorite fast food restaurant.  
"Maybe we should talk about something else to get her mind off the test." Ayumi offered a suggestion as she sipped her coke through a wide red straw.  
"Hey, yeah! What about that boyfriend of yours? Inu...Inu..." Yuka struggled to remember his name.  
"Yasha. Inuyasha. He's...fine...I've gotten to spend a lot more time with him now that he's...off of...um...work." Again, she made up something completely off the top of her head.  
"Work? Really? What does he do?" Ayumi asked, taking an interest while the other two scooted really close, wanting all the details on the guy.  
'I really don't like to lie...but...I can't have them finding out that Inuyasha pretty much kills demons for a living. Exterminator? No, that's too weird. Uh...'  
"He's a florist!" She exclaimed, her cheeks reddening as her friends' brows raised.  
"A florist." Eri repeated, looking confused and maybe even a little disgusted.  
'Ugh! What was I thinking?' Kagome scolded herself as she realized what a stupid thing she had picked for her lie.  
"Y-Yeah..." She said. "I guess..." She added in a whisper.  
"You mean the guy works with flowers!" Yuka asked suddenly, her tone and odd one.  
"Well, that is what florists do!" Eri retorted matter-of-factly.  
"I like flowers...I think it's kinda cool." Ayumi said in her creamy voice from the other side of the table.  
"Oi..." Kagome said, hanging her head. Maybe it was best not to talk about Inuyasha to them.

-------------------

Inuyasha sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest. His face was flushed red as he stared at the TV, the people walking around upside down. He sat, upside down, on the couch, revealing how incredibly bored he was.  
"Shouldn't Kagome be home by now?" He called out to whoever was in the kitchen. The sound of running water constantly cut on and off as plates clanked together.  
"She's home already, been home awhile now! Outside, hanging up the sheets!" answered an old, raspy voice. Kagome's Grandpa.  
"Thanks for tellin' me..." The hanyou replied sarcastically as he pulled himself up, using only his stomach muscles. He pulled himself over the top of the couch. He quickly balanced himself as the couch tilted and swayed unevenly. He paid no mind. It wasn't his home, it wasn't his problem.

The inu half demon brushed past Buyo, the cat's calico fur brushing against his bare ankle. He had to force himself forward to keep from bending down and playing with the animal.

Inuyasha was completely silent as he crept through the back door and into the yard. His eyes snapped to a hauntingly graceful sight.

White sheets billowed wildly in the pushing wind. Flashes of pale, ghost like color moved through the air, pushing this way and that. Portions of a young miko's body revealed through the flashes of white as the girl hung up the damp sheets. Kagome stood, reaching high to clip the edges of a large sheet up on the high string.

Inuyasha moved closer on silent feet. Closer. Silent. And then even closer. The miko hadn't discovered him yet. Not even when the inu half demon moved behind her with curious, twitching ears atop his head. He quickly reached up, free to do so without standing on tip toes, and undid the clothes pins, letting a single white sheet fall to the grass below like a ghost.

The hanyou stifled a laugh as he jumped away, moving with Kagome as she turned around and stared down at the sheet.

"What? Unnn…" The miko muttered as she bent low, grasping the sheet once more and pulling it upward. As she struggled to clip it back, Inuyasha unclipped the one behind her.

The quietest of a chuckle left his lips as he moved behind Kagome again when she turned back around. Did she know he was there, that he was the one messing with her like that?

The miko growled in frustration as she picked up the sheet and clipped it back into place. She crossed her arms, knowing who the culprit could be and probably was.

"…Sit…" She muttered and listened as a choked cry rang out, followed by a crash as the hanyou smacked into the ground.

The white sheet, the one cutting their sight from each other, floated down like a ghost. It fluttered over Inuyasha's body, sprawled in the grass, face down. Kagome couldn't help but giggle, a hand over her mouth.

"That's not funny!" He cried, lifting his head from the ground, the sheet resting over his head.

Kagome didn't reply. She couldn't. She was laughing way too hard to slip even one word through her lips.

"Stop laughing!" Inuyasha cried, pulling himself onto his knees. Crumbles of dirt sprinkled across his cheeks and forehead. That only made the miko laugh harder.

"Stop that!" The hanyou cried out, a small smile starting to spread over his face. It was a good change to see Kagome so happy, even if the joke was on him.

He stood, pulling the sheet off his back and holding it wide in front of him. His brows furrowed as her laughing continued. Still, the smile pulled at his lips though he tried to push it off his face.

Suddenly, he threw himself to her, wrapping the sheet around her thin form and bringing her down to the ground under him. The miko's laughter was cut short as they hit.

"Inuyasha!" She cried out, shocked at his actions.

Now it was his turn to laugh. The hanyou let the smile grace his youthful and handsome features as deep chuckles left his throat.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome repeated, a soft giggle leaving her lips, curved upward in a gleeful smile as she shoved him gently in the shoulders.

Inuyasha moved his hands to her shoulders, pinning her against the ground as they both laughed happily. Each other's laughter rang in their ears like music. The first happy song in forever.

Kagome reached up, suddenly pushing him off of her by the shoulders. She let out a loud laugh as she pushed the hanyou completely over and pinned him to the ground as he had done to her. Inuyasha twisted away and rolled over, bringing Kagome back under him. He pushed her to the ground with his body and weight. Rushes of cold flowed through Kagome and Inuyasha's bodies as they fought playfully, the white sheet twisting around their bodies and bounding them together with each time the rolled over. One by one, the sheets came down over them, rubbing dirt and grass stains over the white surface.

Their chests heaved as the wrestling match finally began to slow. Their energy spent, Inuyasha lay over Kagome, pinning both her hands above her head by the wrists. Kagome still writhed weakly beneath him, though she knew she was no match at all for the muscular hanyou.

"No…fair…" She muttered through her heaved breathes as she twisted her wrists through Inuyasha's firm grip. How he held her…it just made her shudder and shiver.

"Payback…" Inuyasha whispered back, lowering his face a few inches in fatigue. He could feel Kagome's heart beating rapidly in her chest.

Soft breathes released onto each other's red and sweaty faces. An awkward silence smothered them like the sheets that held grip over their bodies, pressing them tightly against each other.

After a moment, a blank look drifted into the hanyou's eyes. He looked distant all of a sudden, his irises trembling.

'No…that….that's the same look he gave me that day when he…tried to…kiss me…' Kagome remembered, drifting back to the memory and feel of Inuyasha's hand grasping hers and bringing her closer and closer until the moment got so awkward, Kagome had to end it. She had shoved him off the hill, rejecting the kiss. But she had known it wasn't meant for her. The look in his eyes, it was clear that he had been looking right through her to someone that wasn't really her.

Here was that look again as his lips neared hers. Was he trying it again? Was he thinking of her? Kikyou. Didn't he know that she wasn't Kikyou. She was Kagome' s complete opposite, didn't he know that by now. It tore her up inside. A kiss. If they ever were to share one, she wanted it to be meant for her, not Kikyou.

..:-----.-..-.--.-----:...

The beginning of this wasn't too good either. But...at least it gave something sweet to munch on, ne?

Not much to say here anymore...headin' for the next chapter then!


	28. I Hate Myself For Saying Anything At All

**Chapter 26**

Sweat trickled down the side of Miroku's face, as if the actions of the night before were just starting to catch up with him. He didn't stir at all, the lack of sleep all night was holding him under the sand man's power deep into the day.

Soft padding footsteps entered the room, followed by a short gasp at the sight of the slayer and monk. Wide, emerald eyes widened even further as the kitsune stared down at the two.

Kirara mewed from beside Shippo, her eyes wide as well. The twin tailed feline knew Sango and this wasn't like her at all. Yet, there she was, laying across Miroku's bare chest, her lips red and her face sweaty. Her arm was stretched over Miroku and placed, limply, on the side of his sweaty face as they lay in the middle of the floor, both sleeping soundly.

Shippo felt his face turn completely red and heat form around his whole body. Usually there was someone around to clap a hand over his eyes, but now he was free to stare at the passionate sight.

"M-Miroku? Sango?" Shippo called out, stuttering and dazed by the sight of them so close.

"Hm…hm?" Miroku murmured, still asleep but beginning to stir under the warm slayer's body.

Sango groaned in reply, easily awakened even through that thick sheet of sleep. Her dark eyes slowly opened but only a blur wavered in front of her eyes. She moaned softly as her cheeks turned a soft rosy color. She could feel Miroku's bare skin beneath her cheek and she could see Shippo staring at her with an odd look.

The slayer flew upward and flung herself off the monk, her cheeks burning red from embarrassment. Miroku's eyes flew open as a rush of cold blanketed his nearly bare body. He cursed inwardly as she departed from laying against him, warming him.

"Shippo!" Sango cried out, her eyes widening. Where was Keade to cover his eyes and bring him away? Now that Kagome and Inuyasha were gone, the kitsune could more freely walk around on his own without anyone hanging over his shoulder. He regretted that now.

"What are you doing?" The small fox demon cried out, confused.

"N-Nothing, Shippo! We were…" Sango knew the kitsune was too young to understand or even know what they had been doing or close to doing.

"Wha-?"

"Where's Keade?" Sango cut him off, her tone rushed and eager to get off of the subject they were on. The slayer had always been so modest and maybe a little shy around the monk and all that she had done had just shattered that front.

"She's outside. But what were-"

Shippo just wouldn't drop it, clearly confused and interested and perhaps even accusing.

"Shippo!" Called out a raspy voice of an old women as she threw aside the bamboo weaving that hung before the door.

The elder miko's single eye bulged as she peered down at the slayer kneeling between the shirtless monk's legs.

"Um…" Miroku muttered, lifting his head from the cold floorboards as his warm hand moved up the side of Sango's arm.

"AH!" The slayer screamed, her hand lashing out and striking Miroku across the cheek, sending his head falling back down to the floor.

"Ooooh…." He grumbled, rubbing his cheek as Sango breathed furiously with no time to say sorry for her jumpy reaction.

"Shippo, ye were supposed to be outside, helping me pick herbs." Keade said, turning her eyes away from Sango and Miroku for one moment to try to get the intrigued kitsune out of the room.

"I was but I needed something and-"

"What do ye need, Shippo?" Keade cut him off, no time to waste, every second they stood there it only got more and more awkward.

"I…forgot when I saw…them…" Shippo replied, his eyes wide as he struggled to remember what he had even come for in the first place.

"Ye come along, Shippo, we'll get it later." Keade replied, guiding the young fox demon away by a hand to his back.

The two waited a moment, watching Kirara follow them out with a disgusted look on her face. Was everyone disgusted at them now? Had they really done such a bad thing by falling in love? Did everyone have to criticize? But, she had to ask herself, did she really love the monk enough to throw it all away, let them be disgusted just so she could hold Miroku like this _every _night?

---------

Kagome could barely breathe under the hanyou as he leaned in, his lips so close to hers and his silver hair falling over his shoulders and tickling her neck and cheeks. She could feel the tip of his nose brushing against hers and she began to tremble. What was that feeling? Why did she suddenly feel the urge of wanting to touch him, _wanting _him to kiss her. Was she just going to let him, let him kiss the Kikyou that he saw in her eyes?

Closer. His breath was right over her lips as he slowly moved in to close the space, his eyes switching between her quivering lips and her watery brown eyes, as if making sure she was going to be okay when he placed his lips over hers. His head tilted, his eyes began to close and his lips moved dangerously close to Kagome's.

She breathed out, softly and slowly against his lips, inching towards hers, feeling his other hand move to the side of her face where he gently caressed her skin. Why was he doing this to her? Why was he torturing her by being so slow, tempting her with his lips so close and with the way he touched her?

-------------

Souta darted to the doorway, his mouth already wide to cry out to Kagome for attention. His jaw dropped from the O it had been in, to call out to his sister. He stared, his eyes wide as he watched Inuyasha, his big brother he never had, slowly move closer and closer until there was but an inch between their mouths. The white sheets, dirt and grass stains grinded deep into the bleached threads, lay all around them, winding around them and trapping the miko and hanyou against each other.

"S-Sis?" He stuttered, pleasantly shocked by the sight as a grin moved over his face. Would Inuyasha really be his big brother some day? If they would just do it, get it over with.

If Inuyasha would just move an inch closer, kiss Kagome, Souta urged, his hands balling into fists of encouragement.

"Souta!" The boy's grandpa quickly cried, a hand tossing over the young boy's eyes to block his vision from the two. "That is not for someone of your age to see! Let's leave those two alone, shall we?"

Forcefully, Kagome and Souta's grandfather tugged Souta away, the boy protesting loudly as he fought against the blindfold of his grandfather's hand.

--------

"Inuyasha…" The miko muttered, her eyes closing and her back arching slightly as the hanyou's fingers trailed across her slender neck. Quietly, the choked breath escaped as a soft moan.

'It's not me. It's not me he wants to kiss…it's Kikyou.' She told herself. The fact that it seemed so true, brought the tears to her eyes, struggling to push through thick lashes.

Even if the kiss wasn't for her, she was longing for it. She could feel it, that she really wanted what he wanted from her, from Kikyou. What he didn't know, wouldn't hurt him. She _wasn't _Kikyou.

One question. She had to know, one question. That day, when she had been injured by taking that blow for him, had he cried for her? Had he felt like he had let her down? Were those tears she had seen, over her, or over Kikyou?

"Were…you crying….for me?" She whispered, so softly that she could barely hear. But Inuyasha had. Just as he had, she wished she hadn't said anything at all and accepted it as it was. But at least now she knew.

Inuyasha's eyes flew open, relaxed at the brows at first, until he brought in her words and his cheeks reddened. She couldn't tell whether because she knew he had been crying, or that he was about to kiss her.

He pulled back, breaking through the sheet's tight grasp, his eyes narrowed at her, all over that one question. Why hadn't she just kept it to herself? She could only scold herself for it now.

"I _don't _cry." He stated firmly, his brows angled inward, his statement firm as he barked at her.

He stared down at her, the rims of his eyes red and his cheeks as rosy as Kagome's. Finally, he realized what he had just about done. He looked ashamed, foolish of what he almost brought upon them both.

The hanyou shook his head, pulling himself to his feet though paused to stare down into Kagome's watery eyes. He parted his lips, the ones that had been almost upon hers just a few moments ago, as if to speak but he just moved on, shaking his head at himself. He turned and walked back into the house, leaving Kagome lying in the dirtied sheets.

..:----..---..-.-.----:...

Is it just me, or do these things seem reeeeeally short. My story on my microsoft word...what I have finished of it...was 97 pages long! Now it's about 50!

O.o


	29. Falling For You

**Chapter 27**

Kagome dumped the rest of the sheets back into the washing machine. Just a few moments ago, she had cleaned them and started to hang them up. Next thing she knew, she was shoved into the twisted pile of them, Inuyasha right on top of her and right in her face, his lips deadly close to her own.

She still kicked herself for saying anything. Maybe if she had just kept her mouth shut, she would have gotten that kiss. Even then, she didn't know if she actually wanted it. It was like she didn't even know her feelings. She had always felt so calm around the hanyou but only recently did she had those moments where her heart started to pound and her skin started to prickle, and those cold and hot flashes spread throughout her body.

The miko slammed the washing machine door shut and moved out of the laundry room, wiping her dirty hands on her green school skirt as she moved into the bathroom to wash her hands, her mind elsewhere.

"Yo…" Muttered a deep voice as he entered the bathroom, right behind Kagome.

She whirled around to meet Inuyasha's eyes, splashing water all over the surprised hanyou.

"Mm…" He snorted, his jaw tightening slowly as he glared at Kagome through slitted eyes. Water dripped from his bangs.

"S-Sorry…" Kagome murmured, her lips pulling back in a slight grin as she let out a small chuckle.

The hanyou pulled and hand up and pushed back his sagging bangs and wiped his face, the smallest of a grin sweeping over his features.

"I should go to the store…" Kagome whispered through a tiny smile.

It was odd, standing in front of him now or being close at all. What had just happened….they both acted as if they had forgotten. Maybe it was for the best. To never be spoken of ever again. If it hadn't really happened…the kiss…then why taunt about it almost happening? Neither of them needed that embarrassment right now.

"What for?" Inuyasha asked, his tone low and not very interested even though he was the one who had asked it in the first place.

"Uh…to get food, maybe, Inuyasha? That's why we go to the grocery store." Kagome replied matter-of-factly.

"I'm comin' with you." He replied, taking a step back to let her move past him, out of the bathroom. She pushed past, a strange expression on her face.

"Why would you want to go with me?" She asked, her brows raised at him. She had thought he was mad at her for letting him know that she had seen him crying. Now he wanted to follow her around like a little lost puppy?

"Nothin' better to do."

"Fine…."

"…Alright…"

"Good."

"Yeah"

"Alrighty then."

"I thought we were goin' to the store, Kagome, not playing the word game."

Finally, Inuyasha broke the miko's trance as she stood there, exchanging short words for quite awhile.

"Y-Yeah…come on…" Kagome replied, a stutter slurring her words as her head began to swirl. She swayed and caught herself on the doorframe where she stood for a moment, gathering thoughts.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha called out, soft concern in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied, without him even having to ask. His concern was something she knew well now. But why did he worry so? Did he really think of her as such a friend? More?

'Do I…_want…._to be more than friends?'

--------------------

A deep breeze brushed by, a cold chill in the air that swept the green end of Sango's kimono. Her lips stung and burned and throbbed as her mind drifted back to the night before. The horror of just before and the pleasure of just after. One after another. Would it always be that way? Sango catching Miroku in the arms of another woman. Would they have to have a whole other fight just for those kisses and those precious words that had followed?

Sango stood by the pond that spread in front of her, the clear water sparkling on forever, as far as the eye could see as her eyes began to feel with tears and her cheeks held a rosy tinge.

"Sango…" Cooed a man's voice, right at the slayer's ear.

The way he murmured her name right into her ear made her tremble all over, and she knew who's it was. He had said it so many times the night before.

"Miroku…." She uttered his name back to him as her face turned only slightly, not enough to see the handsome monk's face but just enough to feel his breath on the side of her face.

A soft hand brushed aside her mahogany hair, his fingers twining in and out of the dark locks as he brought himself closer. Another soft breath moved over her pale skin and made sharp goose bumps appear all over her body. Softly, he kissed the back of her neck, a hand slipping around her waist as a choked breath left the slayer's lips and a blush crawled over her cheeks.

"S-Stop." She demanded, but the tone of her voice so weak that the monk could easily know she hardly meant it at all.

"Sango…we don't have to forget. No one has to know. We can keep it all to ourselves." Miroku suggested, his tone so much calmer and stronger willed than her own as he moved even closer to her.

Now, the slayer knew she probably wouldn't be able to do such a thing. As soon as Kagome returned, her and Inuyasha, she would want to spill it all. She would want to chat with Kagome, hours on end as she explain what each and every one of Miroku's kisses felt like on her lips and cheeks and jaw line and neck.

"Houshi-sama. I can't. We can't. It would ruin ever-"

"Shhh…." The monk cooed again as he pressed his lips to the back of her neck once more. "It's alright. Everything is going to be okay. We don't have to make up our minds now. It can be our secret, if you wish. Or we could forget. We could never touch each other like this again. It's your choice. But know this: I love you very, very much."

His words sent spiking chills down Sango's back and she couldn't help herself as she whirled around and threw her arms around the monk's neck, holding him tightly in her embrace.

So he really did love her, and she really did love him. So why hold back. Not only from themselves but from the world and people around them. So what if they were in love. Why did it _have _to ruin their little group, their quest, their everything. It didn't have to. Everything could be the same, right? If they played their cards right.

----------

"Would you hurry up, Inuyasha?" Kagome cried back to the hanyou who lagged so far behind as he stared at his surroundings with wide and fascinated eyes. It was odd, Kagome telling _him _to hurry up this time. Usually, it was her who stopped to gawk at the scenery, the sparkling ponds of clear water, the wavering green trees that never seemed to die, the hardworking villagers dressed in cloths she had never seen before.

Occasionally, Inuyasha would reach for the hilt of his rusty old sword only to curse Kagome for making him leave it back at her house so he wouldn't scare off the people on the street.

"Why don't you slow down, Kagome?" He mocked, picking up pace but still shifting his eyes around the streets and inside the stores that lined the paved side walks.

People rushed by, anxious to get to their appointments or see their friends. Some of the passer bys stopped and stared at the oddly dressed hanyou and some went on their way, eyeing him as they went along.

Without another word, the hanyou froze and stared wide eye at the sky. His amber eyes twinkled brightly at his discovery. Just like the tall oak trees in the feudal realm, the building stretched on, higher than the rest. He gazed at it like a child would gaze at a chocolate ice cream cone held by their mother, wagging a finger to tell him no as the delicious dessert dripped little brown drops over the pavement below. So unreachable. But not for this hanyou.

Silently, he slipped an arm around Kagome's waist and smirked at the little gasp that left her throat.

Her heart pounded as Inuyasha pulled her close and pressed her to the side of his body.

'Not again, not another mushy episode. My heart still hasn't slowed from the last one!' Kagome thought as the hanyou pulled her tighter against himself. But how wonderful his muscles felt beneath that baggy kimono. How solid and sturdy his body was. Someone she could always lean on.

She soon realized she had been deadly mistaken as Inuyasha crouched low for a short moment before he hurled himself and the miko into the air.

"INUYASHA! STOP! I HAVE SOMEWHERE TO GO!" Kagome ordered, staring down at the people below them, staring up at the long haired boy as he soared upward and caught the side of the building. But for a moment, the only thing she was worried about was that thin, blue bandana falling over his silken dog ears.

Kagome sighed. There was no stopping him now as he scaled the large building with ease. He yanked the two of them up onto solid ground before he slipped his arm from around Kagome and turned to stare out at the city from a distance.

"You just _had _to, Didn't you, Inuyasha? Just couldn't resist…" Kagome sighed out, her hands on her hips as she narrowed her brown eyes at the hanyou in awe.

"Hey. You got a problem? I bet you've never even been up here before! You should be thanking me for taking you somewhere new!" Inuyasha scoffed back, his eyes breaking away from the horizon to narrow at her in anger. He took a wild step towards her. Kagome didn't even have to think as she stepped back one large step, so much closer to the end of the building.

"Thank you? Are you _insane_? You just swept me to the top of a four story building in two jumps! Everybody saw!" Kagome replied, leaning forward to clench a fist at him as he did the same.

"So? They probably though it was just cool!"

Inuyasha stepped forward, Kagome stepped back.

"Cool! How about _INSANE!_"

"Would you stop saying that?"

Inuyasha stepped forward, Kagome stepped back.

"No- Uh, Whoa…whoa!" Kagome cried as she began to sway violently on the edge of the building. She swayed, back and forth of the balls of her feet as she struggled not to fall, not to tip over the edge and plunge to her death.

"Kagome!" She heard Inuyasha call over the hammering of her heart as she slipped, lost balance, flung her arms into the air as she fell backwards and down, down, down.

..:----...----..-.-.----:...

KER-SPLAT!

What? Oh...hi, there...

I mean...IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK! -shifty eyes-


	30. Things I'll Never Say

**Chapter 28**

'Dead…I'm dead…I hit the bottom and died…' Kagome thought, her eyes squeezed shut as she waited for the pain. Or perhaps she had died before she had hit the ground. She had died with Inuyasha's face, twisted in surprise, shame, and guilt, clear in her mind as he watched her fall to the cement below.

Had he seen it? Had he watched her fall to the bottom with the crime of driving her off the edge written all over his face? Were the people crowding around her body now, with eyes wide with horror and surprise. Were they crying, dragging away their young children? Were they calling for the ambulance, hoping that just a sliver of the poor girl's life was still caught somewhere inside of the shell that seemed to be all that remained?

But what was this? Slowly, her honey brown eyes cracked open to reveal complete black. She was in Hell. She had died and gone down, down, down, just like she had fallen. She had just fallen straight through. But why would she go to a place like that? She was innocent, wasn't she? Only a few demon lives were taken under her hand, and for good. How could that be that she was in the place only Inuyasha and Kikyou were destined to be?

What? No…She could feel tensing arms wrapped tightly around her and holding firmly to her back. She had just shut her eyes so tightly that her eyes had to focus to the light all over again. That was all. That was all and she was still alive? Was that it? Was the one who held her even human.

As her eyes adjusted once more on the face so near hers, she determined the one who held her was not human. A hanyou. Inuyasha.

Her head tilted to the side to see below her, see the tiny ant like people crawling beneath, pointing upward at the girl who leaned so far over the edge of the building that she would fall straight down if it weren't for the steady arms that held her up.

"Ka-Kagome…" He stuttered her name quietly before he drew her in, pressing her tightly to his chest. And there, she could feel his heart beating fiercely against her own. Had he really been that scared, that convinced that she was about to die?

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He said, his voice so unreal, so unlike himself as he apologized again and again for driving her off the edge.

Willingly, longingly, her arms wrapped around his neck as she buried her face against his shoulder and let the realization of life sink back in.

"Thank god I was so close. One more second and you would've…damn it all if I ever let you die, Kagome!" He cried out, pulling his arms even tighter around her thin form. So tightly that it made her ribs ache and both their bodies tremble against each other.

It shocked her, how it had shaken him so much. Just that little slip, that little stumble. That could set him off to this? But, Kagome could imagine him being even more shaken and guilty with it being his fault if she really _had _fallen over the edge and died as she collided with the ground below.

"You're so damn clumsy!" He scoffed afterwards, drawing back with his brows knitted inward.

'So much for that.' Kagome thought, dropping her arms from around his neck as he returned to normal.

The hanyou sighed, dropping lazily to the hard paved ceiling of the large building. His eyes returned to the horizon as he left Kagome standing there, dazed by all that had happened.

Within time, Kagome dropped down beside him as well, letting her eyes trail from the sky to his amber orbs, that thought still on her mind. She didn't dare ask it again; to get the reaction she had before; to shatter the moment again.

So much had happened to the two. They had talked and hugged and done so many things together that they never though imaginable, they had even almost kissed. Almost kissed. But it hadn't been her. It hadn't bee her that Inuyasha had hugged so many times, had spoken of his past to, had stared at for all eternity, had leaned so close to, leaning in for a kiss. It had been Kikyou he had done that to, deep inside. He saw her as Kikyou's reincarnation, as Kikyou. As a jewel hunter. Everything but herself.

"It's beautiful…the sky…the view…" Kagome whispered, finding it near possible to strike up a conversation with nothing but two rocks and a few sticks with Inuyasha.

"If you say so." He replied flatly, making Kagome sigh at her failed attempt.

Her jaw tightened as she fought back those words. She wanted to scream so many things, ask so many questions that she knew would just send Inuyasha over the edge without the miko being able to catch him like he had for her. Then, maybe he wouldn't catch her if she just happened to fall again.

"I-Inuyasha…just now…You-"

"I was scared."

"What?" Kagome replied, shocked. This wasn't Inuyasha. Not the Inuyasha she knew. He would never, never admit to her that he was scared, frightened of anything at all.

"Scared…for you. I thought you were gonna fall, Kagome. I thought you were gonna die." He said again, turning to look the miko fully in the eyes. And when she stared at him, stared right into those amber eyes of his, she could tell that he wasn't playing by the least bit. She could tell, this time, that he was looking at _her _and not Kikyou.

"That was the most terrifying moment in my life…" He added, his eyes moving down to his legs and then back to the horizon where slips of bright orange, yellow, and pink began to appear in the sky.

"I thought the moment Kikyou di-"

"She's not everything in my life, you know."

"Oh, really?" Kagome snorted back, sarcastically. All those times she had caught the hanyou speaking soft words to the deceased priestess that should have been the first to reach her ears. So many times had she watched them kiss, again and again, as if she wasn't even there.

"Tell me, Inuyasha. Would you leave me, let me go, forget me forever just to be with Kikyou?"

The question froze the hanyou were he was, his eyes widening for only a few moments before returning to regular size and staring out, distant and cold. How could he ever answer a question like that. Basically, he knew, she was asking if he cared for, maybe even loved Kikyou more than her.

"No." He replied, his voice firm and true.

"Liar."

"Well what if I left you…for someone else, let's say. Would you cry?"

"No."

"Really? You wouldn't? Not at all?." Kagome said back, her voice about to crack as those brown eyes watered up with tears.

"…Ka….Kagome, don't tell me you're gonna cry?" Inuyasha yelled out, his eyes turning to her and catching those tears that rest at the rims of her eyes.

"I'm not going to cry, who says I was going to cry!" She screamed at him, hiding her face.

"No one, sheesh. I was just…Kagome…you know how I…." He turned back, shaking his head. He wouldn't say it aloud, at least not yet. But he could think it all he wanted.

'Seeing you cry makes me feel like saying sorry….'

"No…I wouldn't cry, Kagome. I'd die." He added, his eyes avoiding hers completely as his cheeks burned a deep red.

Kagome froze at his words. He wouldn't cry, he'd die. All if she just left him just like that. He wouldn't have the will, the encouragement, anything to keep going on. Sure, it was an exaggeration, but she loved that answer.

"We should go back soon." Inuyasha said, dropping the subject in the blink of an eye.

"Thank you." Said Kagome, ignoring Inuyasha's statement after those other comforting words. She knew it would lead no where if she just tried protesting or even replying at all. But her thoughts lingered on his words before that. Her eyes sparkled. So he did care.

'Good. Because I'm never going to leave you. So you can live forever.'

"What for?" Inuyasha said, making it sound more like a statement than a question to her.

"Saving me. I…don't know what would've happened if you hadn't been there to catch me." Kagome said, reaching up a hand to rub under her eyes, though she knew they were dry.

"You wouldn't be up on this building in the first place, remember?"

"Yeah, well."

"Forget it."

And Kagome acted as if she did. She dropped it. But never would she forget the feeling of Inuyasha's arms wrapped around her back just in the nick of time before she toppled over the edge. Never would she forget the way held her close and cursed himself for almost letting something horrible happen to her. She would never, ever forget the way he had looked at her afterwards and told her that he was scared for her, scared that she was going to leave him and how he would never leave her, not even for Kikyou. How he told her he'd die if she were to leave him.

Slowly, a comforting warmth spread over the miko's hand and her eyes drifted downward. Her eyes glistened as she stared down at the pale, clawed, hand that was spread over her own, clasping her hand limply. She rose her eyes to his, but he was looking away, far out at the sunset. And he could feel her eyes, feel the smile that graced her pretty, youthful features as a smile graced his own.

Thoughts, and so many of them crawled through their minds as they returned their eyes to the setting sun, the glowing colors, as glowing as their smiles, their eyes as they held tightly to one another's hands.

'There's something about her.'

'There's something about him.'

'Something about the way her brown eyes sparkle'

'Something about the way his golden eyes become so mysterious and distant'

'The way she smiles at me'

'The way he teases me'

'The way she laughs'

'The way he makes me work to make him smile'

'The way she tries so hard to make me smile…and the way it works'

'The way she cries for me'

'The way he's always so strong'

'The way she whispers my name in her sleep'

'The way I constantly dream of him'

'The way she trusts me'

'The way he's always so confident, like I can never doubt him'

'The way she clings to me'

'The way he holds me'

'The way she can always cheer me up'

'The way he speaks to me'

'The way she listens'

'The way he touches me'

'The way her skin feels so soft under my fingers'

'The way his silver hair sways'

'The way her face is so perfectly made, just like of a porcelain doll'

'The way his velvet ears randomly twitch'

'The way her full lips quiver'

'The way he's so solid beneath his clothes'

'The way her frail body feels against mine'

'The way I never want him to let me go…'

'I'll never let you go, Kagome…I swear on it…'

..:---...-.-..-.-.-.----:..

Hmmm...I liked this chapter. It was cute. The thoughts thing is really sweet...but it sticks out in the open, just a little, doncha think.

Psh...you tell me!

Note of Advice: Don't interrupt me when I'm talking to myself.

I get mad...

-pulls out machete-


	31. Dreams and an Unexpected Visit

**Chapter 29**

Those lips. Those pretty little lips that Inuyasha found himself unable to resist lately. Why were they getting so close? Drifting nearer as the hanyou stood before the miko?

"Kagome? What are you…" His voice gently trailed off as he watched her move even closer, her eyes nearly closed. Was she asleep? That had to be it.

'Kagome is asleep and is doing all this without even realizing it. She doesn't know what she's doing, not at all.' Inuyasha told himself but wasn't able to stop his arm from raising and tenderly stroking the side of her face. How he had always loved the feel of her skin underneath his fingers.

"Never leave me, Inuyasha…." She sputtered, tears streaking her cheeks almost out of no where as she spoke in a voice so soft it was eerie.

"No, Kagome. Never. I won't, I won't." The hanyou whispered back, his voice an echo, slipping past her little human ears.

"Inuyasha?" She pleaded, the tears streaming down her face and putting a frown to Inuyasha's.

"Yes, Kagome! Yes! Whatever you want…whatever you want…" Inuyasha cried out. Why couldn't she hear him? Why didn't she stop crying.

He caressed away her tears with his trembling fingers. Trembling from surprise, shock, excitement, and want.

"Please?" She pleaded again and all the hanyou could do was hang his head. She couldn't hear a word he said, not one word. Then…she wouldn't mind at all if he just spoke three words that she couldn't hear?

"Kagome…I think I….I love you."

Warm lips touched his own as if those words alone had reached her ears. His eyes widened in shock and his head pulled upward as Kagome's soft hand spread over his chest.

"Mmmm…." Was all Inuyasha could manage through those pressed lips. She tasted so good and her lips were so light, like he could barely feel them. But he wanted to feel them. He wanted to feel her again but here, he couldn't feel a single thing. Not her soft caress or the tickle of her sweet words in his ear. But he accepted the kiss, returned it, cherished every living second of it. Until it was all over.

--------

Inuyasha bolted upward, his amber eyes wide and searching the room for something that he wasn't even sure existed. His chest heaved as he breathed and he could feel his entire body glistening with the moisture of sweat.

'A dream. Just a dream.' He told himself

The hanyou hung his head, breathed, and let the sweat drip from his forehead. So it hadn't happened at all. Kagome hadn't kissed him, he hadn't said that he loved her, and most of all, Kagome could hear him. Couldn't she? His entire body trembled with the thought. But he shook it off. It was just a dream. He couldn't control his dreams or the way they played out, the way they went. Just because he said so in the dream didn't mean he loved Kagome in real life. No way. He wouldn't admit it, even if it were true.

He glanced down, over his shoulder, his heart pounding and his eyes searching for that pale girl who kissed him in his dream. Kagome.

And there she lay. Just as he had left her the moment he crawled into her bed. There she lay, knees to chest, curled up and searching for more warmth.

Gently, he pulled the covers over her slim form and rose his eyes to the window. He could see the first few rays of daylight beginning to seep through the curtains; his cue to move back to the flat pillow on the ground.

He adjusted himself uncomfortably on the pillow. He could feel the hard carpet beneath the pillow that lay flat on the ground. Did Kagome seriously expect him to sleep on that thing? He was so used to sleeping on hard, uncomfortable ground, but when he could just as easily be sleeping on a big comfy bed, he'd find a way to luxury while he still had a chance at it.

Almost without even having to think about it, the hanyou slid his clawed hand into the soft fabric of his Firerat robe. His fingers worked around inside the clothing until his long, pointed nails tapped against something that gave off a soft 'tink' at the touch. He gently tugged it from his haori and held the goldpendant in his hands, his eyes dancing over every link that chained the necklace together. He silently wedged the long nail of his thumb finger into the slit, right above the hatch. He wiggled the finger around, prying open the golden, heart-shaped, locket. His eyes danced over the small, cut-out, pictures inside. He could still remember when the picture was taken. It hadn't been during the best of times, but he couldn't help but smile at the sight of them both with their mouths opened wide to cry out a few harsh words to one another.

When he had received the gift, he acted like he wasn't flattered at all. He didn't even wear it. It was his own little secret that he still kept the token of love in his possession. What would Kagome think if she knew that he really did appreciate it? What would she do if she was awake to see as the hanyou slipped the long necklace over his head and pulled his silver hair out from under it to hide the golden links. He tucked it under the purple rosary bead necklace and let the locked part hang just under the collar of his white Yukata. That's right. She never had to know.

The seconds, minutes, hours passed by as Inuyasha's lids grew heavier and heavier as he fought the battle to stay awake. He couldn't go back again, not to dream of kissing Kagome again. Surprisingly, that's not what got him. It was that she couldn't hear him, couldn't hear how frantically he cried out to her, and that he couldn't feel her as she touched him softly, begging him, pleading for him to never leave her side.

Still, something inside of him wanted to dream again. Something inside of his _wanted _to kiss Kagome just one last time, and that was what pulled that blanket of sleep over his head and made his lids lower.

----------

"Kagome!" Inuyasha cried out, his eyes bolting open as he shot up straight, his entire body tensed.

"Just missed her." Souta replied, as it was the normal question asked in the house. He didn't even need to wait for the rest of the sentence.

"Huh?" Inuyasha muttered, his eyes turning to the small boy who stood in the doorway. What had he said? He couldn't remember? Had he screamed her name, mentioned her at all?

"Kagome." Her little brother replied, nodding his head and stepping forward into the room, a small smile on his hopeful lips.

"What? Where'd she go?" He asked. Wasn't this the day Kagome got off of school? Like a break? Inuyasha had learned the days of the week. Or at least which days Kagome didn't have to go to school.

"School, duh!" Souta replied, raised his arms and then dropping them quickly. "She'll be back. For now, wanna play hide and seek?"

Inuyasha stared at Souta for a moment, then turned his amber eyes to the window, his brows furrowing.

"Hell! I'm goin' to school!" He shouted, standing up on his feet and placing his hands on his hips, making up his mind.

"Inuya-" But before Souta could utter another word, the hanyou was off, swiping the bandana from Kagome's desk but not bothering to put it over his silvery dog ears.

-----------

"Oooooh….." Kagome moaned, her head falling and clunking to the desk before rising again with her hand to her head.

"Owww!" She cried, all her classmates turning to stare right at her. She peered around, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. Was this day ever going to end? No. She doubted it. A pop quiz was today and she hadn't studied in the least bit. Not with Inuyasha always on her back, peering over her shoulder when she didn't give him any attention for over a few minutes.

"Miss Higurashi! Is there something wrong?" Kagome's professor asked, his thick, gray brows furrowing as he turned his back on the blackboard and the white squiggles that confused Kagome so much.

"Uhhh…no, sir." She muttered, her cheeks turning bright red. She hadn't meant to cry out so loud.

"Then may I continue?" He asked, his voice gruff and accusing as he acted as if he was really waiting on her word.

"Yes, sir." Kagome replied, her eyes moving across the room to where Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi sat, staring hard but sympathetically at her.

Slowly, as the professor returned to the board, Kagome lowered her eyes to her booklet, staring hard at the tiny squiggles she couldn't possibly understand. Even now, when she could be paying attention, learning something new, her attention had drifted.

_Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock…_

The moments passed with the monotonous and low mumbles of the professor at the head of the room and the even louder ticking of the clock. She waited, wishing something would break the silence. A cough, a sneeze, anything at all. Anything _but _what happened.

"Yo, Kagome!"

"Oh no…"

Kagome's hands fluttered up to her face as her cheeks burned even a deeper red. No. No way. She knew that voice and knew that red kimono that covered the built body of the boy who burst through the classroom door.

"No…way…" She moaned, listening to the shocked gasps of her classmates and the wide eyes of her friends at seeing who it was. But why was everyone so amazed? Surely his clothing wasn't _that _odd. But Kagome knew once she looked up as she the uncovered ears perched on his head.

"AH!" She screamed, bolting up from her chair. "SIT!"

"Wh-WHA!" Inuyasha screamed as the necklace of prayer beads began to glow and forced his face to the polished tile floors.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome cried out his name as she rushed forward in a flash and grasped the portion of silvery hair that hung down over the hanyou's shoulders. She yanked it along with her as she darted out the door, leaving her friend's shocked faces behind, surprised at who walked through the door.

"Ow, OW!" He screamed in protest as he was dragged out the door and into the hallway.

Kagome shut the door behind her and turned to face Inuyasha with a red face full of fury, embarrassment and shock.

"What in the world are you doing here!" Kagome asked, staring angrily at Inuyasha as he stared up at her, fuming as well.

"I came to see you, I thought you would be happy! Excuse me!" He retorted, clenching a fist as he sat on the ground, looking up at Kagome.

"Your ears!" She screamed, thinking of another thing he'd done wrong.

"Wha? Oh…I guess I forgot."

"FORGOT?" Kagome screamed, her words echoing awfully loud through the empty hallway and alerting the students and teachers inside.

Quickly, a door crashed open and the head of a neighboring teacher poked out to glare at them meanly.

"AH!" Kagome cried, dropping down and grabbing Inuyasha's head, pushing it into her chest to cover his ears.

Maybe it wasn't the best thing to do. The teacher's eyes widened as they lowered to the shocked look on the hanyou's face as his face was shoved onto Kagome's chest as she covered the top of his head. The teacher slowly slid the door closed, getting the point, or what seemed to look like it.

"Mmhmmay…." Inuyasha murmured, his voice muffled and barely audible. And as soon as Kagome realized why, she shrieked and pushed Inuyasha away again, staring at him with wide eyes into his shocked face.

"W-Wow…" Was all he could muster in a wavering voice. His cheeks were bright rosy, matching Kagome's.

"SIT, BOY!" Kagome cried, her brows furrowing at his remark as she crossed her arms over her chest, holding onto her shoulders as she watched Inuyasha's face smack onto the ground in front of her.

"Ow! You're the one who shoved me onto you!" Inuyasha shouted out, pulling his face from the tiles on the floor to glare at her.

"You didn't have to say 'Wow'! I didn't mean to do it!" She cried back, their words echoing through what seemed like the entire school.

"What! You wanted me to say 'Oh, thanks, Kagome! That was really nice, I like that a lot!' or 'Goodness, Kagome! That was amazing, do it again!" He mocked.

"SIT!"

_Smack._

_"_OUCH! STOP THAT!"

"SIT!"

_Smack._

_"_I WAS KIDDING!"

"SIT"

_Smack._

_"_Oooooh…."

..:---.-.-..----:..

Hmmm...

-cackle-

Okay, that's enough of that. On to the next chapter.


	32. All From Her Touch

**Chapter 30**

Kagome sighed, hanging her head in relief as the hanyou lay at her feet, his face plowed into the ground.

"Inuyasha….I thought I told you a long time ago to never follow me to school again!" She said, her voice at least a little calmer than before.

"I got bored." Inuyasha said, slowly pulled his face up to meet hers.

"Inuyasha…" She muttered his name again, a hand to her head.

'What am I gonna do now…' She thought solemnly.

"What?" Inuyasha asked, raising a brow.

"Just come inside. I might be able to get you through the day without anyone noticing…if you're good." She replied, standing up and staring down at the hanyou, sighing again.

"Stop sighing! What am I gonna do? Eat one of your classmates?" He said, looking up at her but not bothering to stand up until Kagome reached down a nearly trembling hand that he grasped harshly and pulled himself up.

"Not funny." Kagome replied sharply as she turned back to the classroom door just as the bell let out a loud shriek.

Almost all at the same time, doors came swinging open, followed by streaming lines of girls dressed in white and green uniforms and boys dressed in black suits.

"Oh no!" Kagome cried out, grabbing hold of the hanyou's shoulder and pulling him to his feet.

"What, what!" He cried after her, struggling to stand up as she pulled him so he didn't get his shoulder dislocated.

"Hurry! Come with me!" She said, pulling him after her as she darted through the streams of students who could catch sight of those ears atop his head at any moment at all.

"Where are we going?" Inuyasha asked, dodging whizzing figures of black, green, and white.

"Library." She replied in a rushed tone that was barely audible over the screaming students that rushed past.

"What the hell is that?" He asked as Kagome thrust open the big double doors and the two rushed inside the near-empty and silent room.

"Shh. Be quiet, would'ja! It's a library!" The miko hushed him, her hand slipping down his arm to pull him by the round tables that only about two people sat at, their noses pushed into their books.

Swinging past tables and weaving through long and tall bookcases, Kagome dragged Inuyasha into the back where no eyes could reach them. Back to the very back where Kagome's steps finally slowed and a large breath pushed through her pursed lips as she pushed Inuyasha down into a chair that belonged to a fairly long and sturdy table.

"Now where's the bandana?" She ordered, holding out a demanding hand for the light blue cloth that should have been keeping those velvet dog ears a secret from the world.

"Right here, right here, chill!" Inuyasha replied, pulling the bandana from his haori and giving it to the fuming miko.

"Well if you had just…" Her angry voice gently trailed off as she moved behind the hanyou and ran her fingers through his course, silver hair. She had forgotten what she was talking about. She didn't even bother to try and remember, she couldn't remember if it was that important anyway.

Inuyasha's back suddenly stiffened under her touch. His scalp tingled as her fingers moved through his silver hair. His mouth opened slightly and his head dropped back a bit.

"Why do you gotta put that thing on anyway?" He asked, wishing that she would just keeping running her fingers through his hair and never stop to put a hot piece of cloth over his head to smash down his ears.

"Do you want everyone finding out you're a half demon?" Kagome reasoned, her fingers running down the sides of his neck as she gathered his hair in her hands. It was so much, hardly any of it could fit in her frail fingers. She hesitated, touching his skin and hair just a few more times until it was obvious how she was doing it on purpose.

"Girls dig the ears…" Inuyasha replied, his head gently rolling on his neck with her touch. Goose bumps tingled down his arms, making the hairs stand on end as she moved the light blue bandana over his ears, flattening them to his head.

"Oh, really!" Kagome said, a soft giggle coming forth to shatter the awkward front. That definitely was Inuyasha's humor, but she had to admit that it was pretty funny.

Soon, Inuyasha sweet laugh joined in with her own and his smile formed over the blissful look on his face.

---------

"Where'd they go?" Yuka cried, sticking close to Eri's side as she led the way into the library.

"I know they came in here!" The leader of the threesome said, skipping through the library, her eyes searching for her friend and her "boyfriend".

"I definitely saw them run in here!" Ayumi piped up from behind them as she jogged to catch up with her other two friends.

"Well then they've got to be in here somewhere!" Eri cried, her voice higher than it should have been in such a silence stricken place.

"Shhh!" The librarian shushed from behind the desk at the far wall. The three girls giggled in shame, waving slightly to the angry lady.

"Come on!" Yuka exclaimed in a whisper, dragging Ayumi and Eri by the wrists, through the library to find their other friend.

The three twisted through the library, their eyes skimming through every aisle and every corner for the two until Ayumi finally spotted them.

"Oh my gosh! There they are!" She cried out in a hushed voice as the other girls frantically crowded beside her.

"Where, where?" They demanded, their voices a lot louder than hers had been.

"Shh! Over there!" She said, pointing to their best friend who leaned over the boy she always blew steam off about whenever he'd put her down.

"Aw!" Ayumi added, her hands clasping together under her chin as she watched Kagome comb her fingers through her "boyfriend's" long silver hair.

-----------

"Hm…Hm…" Kagome murmured a laugh through pressed lips as she tied the bandana under Inuyasha's thick mop of course silver hair.

"Now you sound like Miroku…" She whispered as his head tilted back to stare up into her face. Amber met Brown and they fell silent for a moment, Kagome's fingers running gently across the hanyou's cheeks and neck.

"I'm no lecher." He replied, a small smile on his lips. What a smile. It was so hard to force a real one, a joyful one onto his features.

"Yeah, right." Kagome scoffed, her eyes narrowed slightly though her weak smile covering the solemn thoughts.

Not a lecher, not a cheater, not a two-timer. He claimed it all, but Kagome's thoughts were different.

'Then why does he always run off to Kikyou whenever her name and whereabouts are mentioned?' She wondered, her smile slowly fading. 'That's right. That's not called two-timing, is it? Because…we were never together. So she's always been the one…'

'But…I can't help but wonder what he has planned. Sometimes…I want to think that it's as long as he lives, he's mine…and after he dies…he's Kikyou's…but that wouldn't be true. He's with her even now. He's always loved her…in life or death, he always will, always has….so I'm not really in the picture…am I?'

"Kagome? What happened? One minute you're all happy dandy and the next you look like sky just fell." Inuyasha said, shattering Kagome's thoughts and bringing her back to him.

"What? Oh, never mind." She said, moving away from the hanyou's face and turning to walk to the table he sat at, the chair pulled a little ways back.

Inuyasha's amber eyes followed her closely, watching her every move as she lifted herself onto the table in front of him and crossed her legs, staring intently at him as if he had done something terribly wrong.

"What is it?" He asked, his voice a bit more serious as he realized the strange look on her pale features.

"Nothing, nothing at all…" She replied flatly, not pulling the subject any farther.

"You are gonna let me stay right? I ain't goin' all the way back home with nothin', just to be bored again!" Inuyasha protested, his thin, black, brows knitting inward as he spoke.

"Hm. Give it a rest, Inuyasha. You can stay." Kagome assured him as she uncrossed her legs, trying to get comfortable as she stared at the boy who she thought would never see the inside of her school.

"Good." He said, looking around quickly with a sigh. "So this is where you go when you're gone." He stated, only halfway sounding like a question.

Eri stepped forward, leading the silent single filed line to Inuyasha and Kagome with silent steps. Slowly, her hand reached out to take Kagome by the shoulder in a gentle touch to get her attention.

"OH MY GOD!" The surprised miko cried out, jerking from the grip and flying off the table. She landed straight in Inuyasha's lap, her head pressed over his shoulder, her heart pounding from her friend's attack. Inuyasha's arm slipped over her waist, holding her protectively as his lips peeled back to reveal ivory fangs. His other arm shot up, his razor blade sharp claws poised above his head in readied attack.

"Uh…K-Kagome?" Yuka sputtered, her eyes on Inuyasha's deadly claws.

"What long nails…" Ayumi said, the others frozen in place with their eyes on Inuyasha's protective and intimidating pose.

"Eri? Yuka? Ayumi?" Kagome asked, turning back to see her friends staring with wide and horrified eyes.

"Agh!" She muttered, throwing herself off Inuyasha's lap, her cheeks burning a deep red as she turned back to her friends with a somewhat innocent expression.

"H-Hey, guys! W-What are you doing here?" She asked as Inuyasha settled back into contentment with a soft sigh. Sure he had sensed them coming, but had he said a thing? Warned Kagome at all? No…

"We were just wondering where you were and…" Eri's voice trailed off as the all leaned to the side to get a glance at the boy who sat behind Kagome with his amber eyes watching them closely.

"You guys know Inuyasha, right?" Kagome piped up, seeing their interest.

'It can't hurt…I mean….he has the bandana on and he's not one to blow his cover…is he?' She wondered, stepping aside to watch her friend's take over the conversation, thrusting Inuyasha in against his will.

"So it _is _you!" Yuka shouted.

"The guy at the dance!" Ayumi pointed out.

"First romantic thing you've done for her so far, huh?" Eri scoffed, folding her arms over her chest.

"Huh?" Inuyasha cried out, his eyes shooting wide as he was nearly knocked out of his chair with their sudden jump all over him with questions to make his ears pop.

"Look at his pretty eyes!" Ayumi pointed out another thing, moving closer, the rest following up.

"Pretty- what, now?" Inuyasha exclaimed, pressing against the back of the chair to move farther away from the advancing three.

"Did you come off work just to see Kagome?" Yuka questioned about the romance that she and the two other friends were so obsessed about.

"What in the world? I don't…" Inuyasha started, trying to back off as much as he could.

"What kind of plant is this?" Eri asked, popping up right next to Inuyasha with a rubbery plant in her hands, pot and all.

"How the hell should I know?" Inuyasha shouted back, his eyes widening as he moved off to the side when she popped up.

"I thought you were a flouriest…" Yuka murmured under her breath but not too quiet for the hanyou's sensitive ears to catch.

"Such language!" Ayumi cried, gasping and putting a hand to her delicate lips.

"Wha? Where'd you get that?" Kagome asked, her eyes fixing on the pot Eri had popped up with and shoved into the hanyou's already panic stricken face. Any more and they would leave Inuyasha knocked to the floor, smoke winding from his ears.

"Gimme that!" Kagome said, taking the pot and plant from Eri and shoving her friends away. "Don't give the boy a heart attack."

Kagome suddenly felt herself being pulled by the shirt to move in front of Inuyasha. He tucked his head behind her back, hiding from the three frantic girls as they struggled to move around Kagome to ask more questions of the confused hanyou.

"Kagome? Did your friends rightfully leave the asylum?" He asked, his voice wavering a bit as he hid behind the miko.

"Inuyasha!" She said, accusingly at his mean question. "Girls…I uh think…we sh-"

_RIIIIING, _The bell cut through the rest of the miko's words. Saved by the bell.

"Oh! Look what time it is! Time for English class!" Kagome cried, snatching up Inuyasha's wrist and pulling him up from the chair. He towered over her and her friends stood in awe. He was a head taller than Kagome. They couldn't help but wonder how old _was _this boy?

"I'll see you guys around!" She muttered, pulling Inuyasha behind her as she rushed off to the library doors, leaving her friends staring with mouths so wide open that they could have choked to death if a book came flying into their mouths.

"He's so handsome…" Ayumi said, her voice dreamy as she cuddled next to Eri and Yuka.

"Hottie!" Yuka cried, grabbing at Ayumi's white sleeve and tugging at it playfully.

"What a biker boy." Eri said, struggling to keep the awe and dreaminess from her voice. She couldn't help it. He was pretty cool in all their minds.

"What…in all hell and damnation was that about?" Inuyasha asked in a whisper as Kagome led him through the big double doors again.

"Nothing. Just a typical encounter with my friends. Don't worry, they think you're cool." Kagome assured him as she dropped his wrist, moving into the crowded hallways. Quickly, she moved her arm around his, intertwining her fingers with his. She was afraid to let go. She couldn't imagine what mess Inuyasha would get himself into if she lost hold of him.

"K-Kagome…" Inuyasha sputtered softly, his eyes moving downwards at their hands. His voice had been so protesting yet when he looked down, he found his fingers gently intertwined with the miko's, willingly accepting her warm hand in his own.

She ignored his small and unconvincing protest as she walked him through the halls, praying to god no one would notice her holding hands with the hanyou. And just as if the devil had heard her prayer, a harsh hand gripped Kagome's shoulder from behind, whirling her around and breaking her hand from Inuyasha's.

"J-Jokku…please…not today." She pleaded to the large, hulky boy who stood before her, staring down with a mischievous look in his dark brown eyes.

Her pitiful hazel orbs turned to Inuyasha in a pleading glance as the football player's grip tightened on her shoulder.

"Shouldn't you be in bed? Don't wanna give the whole school a disease!" Jokku, the bully of the school, teased, his tough-guy bullies backing up close behind him.

"Ow, Jokku! You're hurting my sh-shoulder!" Kagome cried, attempting to wriggle away from his grip as one of his three buddies mocked her in a high pitched voice.

"Dude, wash you're hands after this, she probably has A.I.DS, bein' sick all the time!" One of the three boys behind him called to him with a taunting grin on his face.

"Ow!" Kagome shrieked, the jock's grip tightening over her throbbing flesh.

A deep, throaty, laugh cackled up from the boy's throat. He laughed and laughed as Kagome's eyes began to fill with tears. People were starting to crowd around and watch her struggle helplessly against the strongest guy in school.

"Don't touch her." A menacing voice warned as a clawed hand suddenly gripped Jokku's arm that held to Kagome, twice as hard as he held her.

Slowly, the long nails biting into the boy's skin, he moved the arm away from Kagome's frail form as he stepped into view. Inuyasha snarled, his amber eyes daring him to try another move.

"Gonna sic your boyfriend on me, Ka-go-me?" Jokku taunted, mocking her name as he glared back at the hanyou.

"Shut up." Inuyasha barked, his grip tightening and his anger feeding off the small wince that the jock gave off.

"Dude. What's up with the big kimono and long hair?" Jokku retorted, his dark eyes gleaming with the same daring attitude.

"I said shut the hell up." Inuyasha replied, his anger fueled with every word the jock said as Kagome stood behind him, her brown eyes gleaming with shock.

"The 80s are over. Stop livin' in the past, tree hugger!" Jokku continued, cutting another chunk off his life while the hanyou's fuse began to burn further downward.

"Wanna run that by me one more time, big guy?" Inuyasha dared, his nails biting even deeper into the stranger's skin before finally releasing his arm to poise his claws beside his face, cracking his knuckles loudly.

"Inuyasha, please!" Kagome pleaded, her voice cracking as she frantically pondered on what to do. Inuyasha was serious. He could kill the kid if he really wanted to. Then what?

"Stay outta this, Kagome!" He barked back, clenching his hand into a fist as more and more people crowded around and Jokku's friends backed off.

"Ooooh, don't break a nail! C'mon, gimme your best shot!" Jokku taunted even further, another inch down Inuyasha's wick, another inch of Jokku's life cut short.

"Inuyasha, don't!"

Inuyasha raised a fist, quickly clenching the other by his side to ready it for another attack as he aimed for Jokku's face. He struck forward, his hand whizzing towards the boy's face to clock him upside the head when Jokku suddenly pulled up an open palm and caught the hanyou's fist. Inuyasha smirked, he was falling for it. The hanyou's other fist sped forward in silence just as Jokku thought he was completely safe from attack.

..:---.-.--.--..-----:..

I still just can't get over my little ending dashes and dots. They're just so...so...CUTE!

Okay, I'm fine.

Time to eat breakfast...and let the dog out...and pick up the clothes from the stair...and upload more chapter...hmmm...busy, busy, busy. -shakes head-


	33. Big Guy On Campus

**Chapter 31**

"NO!" Kagome cried out.

A sickening crack rang out and blood spurted from the jock's nose as he was hit. Cries rang out, 'ooh's and 'aah's made their way from the thick ring around the six people as they watched the well known Jokku stumble back, blood running over his lips and down his chin as he raised a hand to touch his cheekbone. He stumbled, tripped, and fell backwards, his buddies rushing to his side.

"Oooh! My face! My cheek, my nose! I think you broke my cheekbone! You stupid hippie!" Jokku called out, shocked on the inside at the confrontation of the first boy in school who had stood up to him and won a fight against him.

Inuyasha crouched down, his kimono rustling slightly as he leaned forward and took a firm hold of the boy's shirt, bringing him closer so they could see eye to eye.

"What'd you call me?" He asked, daringly. This time, Jokku took the hint.

"N-Nothing!"

"Yeah, it was something alright!" Inuyasha snorted, his fist raising high again, readying for the final punch to take the jock out.

"Inuyasha-no! Sit!" Kagome cried just in the nick of time. Everybody watched as Inuyasha plowed to the ground. Was it even possible to trip like that? Kagome could only hope that the students surrounding wouldn't catch on.

"I think he gets the point!" She added, running to his side and taking hold of his shoulder, touching him gently as if to say sorry for using the command.

"I was _helping _you, by the way!" He informed her, mainly questioning her why she would do such a thing to him while he was trying to save her hide.

"You've proved your point, let's go! Please.." She pleaded, her eyes shining with concern and hurt.

"F…Fine, alright…" Inuyasha said, giving in as he turned back to Jokku for but a moment.

"Listen to me. Touch her again and see what happens. If I ever catch you near Kagome again, if you touch one hair on her head, It'll be your funeral." The hanyou threatened, straightening up and turning to leave the boy laying helplessly and foolishly on the ground.

"Damnit! Next time I just won't help you then!" He whispered when they had pushed through the tight circle of wide eyed students.

"Well, you almost killed the guy!" Kagome said, turning slightly to face him.

"That would have been the end of his tormenting you." Inuyasha defended.

"He wasn't tor-…Inuyasha, you just can't go around killing people in my era like you can yours. It's considered a crime and you can get in serious trouble!" Kagome told him, her face lined with worry. Where were all the teachers when that had happened?

"It would have been a death that benefited! He was bad, I take care of him, it's all good! That's what we do in my era, remember!"

"Well…it's just different, alright?"

"Whatever."

"Hey, Inuyasha?"

"What?"

"Thanks." She said, pushing aside his last statement

"Don't mention it. Hey. Did he hurt you?" The hanyou asked with a suddenly concerned gaze. His features twisted as soon as the expression gave way. He would never let her know how much he really did care.

"No. He always does that. I'm pretty used to it." Kagome replied, moving an inch away from Inuyasha. Knowing him, he wouldn't take her word for it.

"Show me. I want to see it." He demanded, his steps stopping short in the middle of the hallway.

"No, Inuyasha. We'll be late." The miko protested, stopping for only a moment to turn around and speak to him before trotting off to continue her route to class.

"Does it look like I care?" Inuyasha cracked, moving up behind her and taking her by the shoulder that Jokku had clenched in his grip.

"Ow!" Kagome exclaimed, giving it all away, her little white lie about it being fine and all.

"Heh. I barely touched you. He _did _hurt you." The hanyou concluded, leading her to on of the two walls on either side of them. He gently pulled down the part of her shirt that covered her shoulder to expose the pale skin underneath.

"I-Inuyasha?" He murmured his name, her heart pounding and a pink shade spreading over her cheeks as he touched her skin gently.

People whistled and stared as they passed, watching as Kagome let Inuyasha pull away more of her shirt to see the injury the bully had created.

"It's already starting to bruise." Inuyasha stated, more of to himself than anyone else.

"I'm _fine, _Inuyasha!" Kagome stated firmly, her voice wavering only slightly as she lied to his face. People were staring, watching, whispering, and pointing as her cheeks reddened even more and the urge to hold him, throw her arms around him and hold him close, strengthened.

'She's blushing. She's lying and changing right in front of me.' Inuyasha thought, his fingers moving across the swelling bruise on her shoulder. The feel of her soft skin was driving him insane.

Kagome didn't utter another word. Her jaw clenched. Was he _trying _to drive her over the edge with the way he touched her like that? It was working only too well. Her arms found their way around his neck in no time and her face buried into his chest.

"Kagome.." He murmured her name, blocking out the rest of the people around him. They didn't matter anymore. Only Kagome. She was the only person who mattered in this entire building.

The miko breathed slowly, letting in the empty feeling of the lack of Inuyasha's arms around her. Why wouldn't he hug her back? He almost always did. But this was only one of the very few embraces they were locked in. Wasn't he used to it? They never hugged after a long few days of not seeing each other. Simply a short smile or something of the sort. But when they did hug, he almost always wrapped his arms around her.

"Inuyasha?" She spoke his named questioningly.

"We should get you to your class." The hanyou suggested, his head hanging and his chin gently resting against the top of her head.

Why did she act so sad and unwanted? Didn't she knew how much he wanted to hold her right now. There was just something about the way she touched him, about the way the people stared at him as if he were some kind of hideous creatures about to rip the delicate mortal to shreds that forced his arms to stay at his sides.

Later, he promised, he would make it up to her.

"Yeah, I guess we should get going." She sighed back, her arms dropping quickly from around him, her eyes dark and solemn from her failed attempt at a sweet embrace.

Inuyasha nodded, a pale hand moving up to pull the miko's shirt back over her shoulder.

"Thanks...uhm...come on, I'll show you my next class." Kagome said, forcing her mind back into focus. She was in school, not in the feudal realm. She couldn't keep thinking about Inuyasha, about how her friends were doing or about how they were ever going to defeat Naraku. But now that Inuyasha was here, in the one place she thought she was safe from him, her thoughts always lingered back to him and the life he had lured her into.

Inuyasha grunted. So far, the day had been eventful but now he was going to be dragged through some boring class? He didn't know if he'd be able to take it. Though he could always spice it up if he wanted to.

Slowly, Kagome could feel warm fingers slip through her own. A tiny gasp left her parted lips as she moved her gaze downward. Her eyes fixed on their intertwined fingers. This time _Inuyasha _had made the move. _He _had moved his hand into hers. _He _had shown her affection, sweet, loving affection for once. Who was this hanyou and what had they done to the inconsiderate jerk she knew?

"Don't flatter yourself…It's just so we don't get separated…" The hanyou grumbled, explaining his reason of holding her hand. It didn't convince her. Not by the least bit.

Suddenly, she wanted to admit it all. She wanted to confess every feeling for him that she had ever felt. Right then and there as she held his hand and walked through the crowded, empty in her mind, halls of a school that really didn't matter anymore.

..:-----.--.------:..

Sorry. This one got messed up. I had to delete it and reupload it.

That's not even a word, is it?

PSH!

Well. As I said before, I'll probably add another MirokuXSango paragraph or so. Ya think?

Just for all those MirokuxSango lovers out there. I will please ya soon enough!

And remember: REVIEWS! Just to let me know how much you loved/liked/disliked/hated my ff!

I think you know which one I prefer...

-sings- L.O.L.O.L.O.L.O.V.E!

Stay tuned for my next update!


	34. Romeo and Juliet's Lie

**Chapter 32**

_"Dream…they shall dream. Each night, they shall dream of each other until the day it all falls into line. Until the day that Inuyasha slays Kagome. The day will come, the day of the full moon…and neither of them will be able to resist. They will give in to temptation and the miko will be dead by sunrise."_

With a startling squeak, the door marked 'English' opened to reveal a boy dress in red. He let himself in, his arms finding their way into the big, billowing sleeves of his blood red haori after making a quick getaway from the miko's hand.

"So nice of you to join us today, Kagome!" The young male teacher greeted from the blackboard as he gently lowered a short piece of chalk to smile over at the girl who entered right after the boy. "Whose you're friend and shall he be joining us?"

"Um. Yes, Mr. Murashima. This is my….friend. He…doesn't go to school around here and he was…just visiting me for a couple of days during the week. I thought it would be okay to bring him with me to school today. Is that alright?" Kagome lied, eyes lowering to her feet so she didn't show the blush that crawled over her features. She was a terrible liar.

"Does this young man have a name?" The teacher asked, turning his attention fully onto the two.

"Inuyasha's the name." The hanyou said, a slight smirk on his face as he moved a step further into the room and scanned his amber eyes over the students. He gulped, perhaps a little too loudly, as his eyes settled on the three rambunctious girls who sat in the middle, their eyes glued to his tensed form as they probably would be throughout the entire class

"That's a very unique name. Well, Inuyasha. Thank you very much for joining us, but….Neither hats or bandanas are permitted in this school. I'm going to have to ask you to take that off." Murashima informed Inuyasha as he took a step towards the stubborn hanyou.

"No way!" He replied, raising a hand to the faded blue bandana. Just that thin sheet of fabric severed reality from fairytale. And if anyone found out, it would only lead to destruction.

"Please, sir, I can't allow you to wear that in the classroom. You already don't have a school uniform, that's enough." The teacher stood as tall as he could manage but couldn't throw off the hanyou who stood just a few inches taller.

"Keh. Not on your life!"

Some of the students gasped and covered their mouths in shock, others simply smirked at his performance. Some even rooted for his stand up to their teacher.

"Now, Sir-" Murashima started.

"I thought I told you my name is Inuyasha…" The oblivious inu hanyou interrupted.

"Mr. Murashima! I'm so sorry! Inuyasha has been home schooled for all his life so…he…doesn't exactly know how to act." Kagome interrupted, realizing the whole idea of bringing the arrogant hanyou to school was a bad one.

"H-Hey!" Inuyasha shouted in reply. That was all he said, all he could say before the teacher spoke again in a harsher tone than before. It was obvious that his patience was running short.

"Yes, well. That bandana is really going to have to come off." The ongoing teacher demanded, his eyes showing the twinge of annoyance that was starting to sink in.

"Please, Mr. Murashima. It's only for one day…it's…really special to him." The miko pleaded with her English teacher, her heart hammering furiously in her chest. If that bandana was removed, everyone would know he wasn't human for sure. Then they would panic, that would horrible.

The teacher glanced to Inuyasha, eyeing him carefully as if not believing a word Kagome said only because it didn't leave the hanyou's lips.

"Is that so?" He asked, daringly.

"Whatever she says." Inuyasha replied flatly and turned on his bare heels to walk down an isle of the classroom as he tried to ignore the wide stares of the students. It made him rather uncomfortable, especially the gawks of Yuka, Ayumi, and Eri. He would rather just take off the bandana to make all of them shut up and continue with the day, but he wouldn't want to risk more students staring at him like he had just sprouted another head.

"I'm sorry. Really, I am." Kagome continued, nodding her head in a sad attempt to convince the teacher of her sincerity.

"Alright, if for today only. Please, take your seat, Ms. Higurashi." Mr. Murashima demanded in a soft tone, willingly dropping the subject as the hanyou walked off, uninterested.

"Sorry, class. Where were we?" He asked, flashing a cheerful glance to the class before turning round to look at the board with a rather confused look.

"Romeo and Juliet!" A female awe-stricken student shouted from the back. She seemed to be the only one wanting to hear the story of the two lovers once again.

"That was close." Kagome uttered under her breath as she slid into her desk with a cautious twinge. Her eyes lowered to the pencil bitten desktop. The polished surface was rather worn and losing it's shine, or was that just the way the miko's eyes were taking it in?

Her honey-brown eyes flicked up to rest on Inuyasha as he stood, awkwardly, at her side, sticking out like a big, red, sore thumb. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she motioned for him to take a seat in the empty desk in front of her before the teacher noticed something else out of place with him.

Thankfully, the hanyou took the hint, taking the precious time to stare down at the seat before lifting himself up and settling down with his feet in the seat and actually sitting on the back of the sturdy chair.

"Can't you act normal for once." She murmured, sighing deeply at his behavior that received stares from all around.

"Keh." Was his only reply. The usual. She wasn't too terribly surprised.

After awhile, the miko let her mind wander. She had heard the story of Romeo and his not-so-secret lover about a million times over. So, she let her thoughts drift to random, stupid stuff that could just keep her mildly entertained until the class was over. But, eventually, her eyes lifted to Inuyasha almost absentmindedly.

'Romeo. Yeah right. Inuyasha would never kill himself just to be with me.' She thought, scornfully, as she watching the hanyou's brows knit inward. The story must have been confusing him as it confused most kids in the class with such long, discriptive talk. 'But then again…he did tell me that he would protect me with his life. So, he would die for me…but never just give up his life to be with me in heaven or wherever. He wouldn't even do that for _Kikyou." _Her thought continued until she felt herself about to burst from anger and sadness.

Inuyasha's rough voice suddenly shattered through her delicate thought cloud and her eyes immediately shot upward. He wasn't talking to _her_, was he? He was being way to loud, if he was.

"That's so stupid." He commented dryly.

"Hm? What's that? Inuyasha, was it?" Murashima asked, turning his eyes over to the hanyou who's mind was working to decipher the meaning of the story.

"Yeah." He replied, his voice showing his annoyance without a bit of holding back. Inuyasha would never hold back if it came to rudeness or sarcasm, or anything else for that matter.

'Man, he sure does have a problem remembering my name' He thought, scornfully.

"It's stupid that that Romeo dude would kill himself over that girl." He stated firmly, his own thoughts moving back to a time where he could have done the same thing. "What kind of person does something like that?"

"Well, someone who is really love, like in this case." Mr. Murashima answered. It was easy to tell that he was trying his very hardest to stay cheerful and, by all means, in tact with his sanity. The hanyou was quite enough to tear any mortal's mind apart with his arrogant and stubborn ways.

"Keh! Just because your in love, doesn't mean you kill yourself over it." The hanyou dragged on, crossing his arms and letting the fingers of one hand pick a the white collar of his Yukata.

Kagome sighed, her head dropping down to the hard desktop. Her theory of this whole thing being a bad idea, bubbled to the surface again.

"See, I don't think you're getting it. Romeo killed himself to be with the woman he loved…because she died. That way, they could be together in Heaven." The teacher explained, sighing heavily and giving away his hints of annoyance.

'Now how does _this _sound familiar?' The miko wondered sarcastically. Of course she knew. One tragic story that she could never forget: Kikyou and Inuyasha's. That was true. 'Didn't Inuyasha promise Kikyou, long ago, that he would go to Hell with her? But when she died, he just…let it go. _He _didn't kill himself.'

"It still sounds pretty dumb to me." By this time, all heads had been turned towards the arguing inu half demon and teacher. Even those who had long passed out from boredom and their head had crashed to the desktops, a thick puddle of drool coating the faded polished surface.

"The other person, the one who died, would want their lover to live a long and happy life. Point blank. With them or not. People are just like that. Besides, how would they know they were both going to Heaven?"

Kagome's head shot up, her eyes wide as she played over every word Inuyasha had just said. He was talking about him and Kikyou, it was so obvious, but it was so sweet. Every feeling he put into those words made the miko blink with awe and surprise. She could feel tears dawning at the brims of her eyes. Her brows knitted inward as she tried to determine which she wanted at the moment. To yell at him, for making her feel so odd, so unloved, or to be shrouded in his arms.

"Inu…" She didn't even finish his name before she wrapped her own slender arms around herself, substituting for the lack of the hanyou's embrace. It was hardly the same.

Mr. Murashima was silent, in fact, the entire class was. The ticking of the clock that hung above the door echoed through the room, the only sound there was. Had the hanyou really shocked them all with such an uprising comment?

The inu half demon glanced around the room, his amber orbs narrowing at each and every wide eyed student who gawked at him with a questioning gaze. A low growl forced it's way up from his throat as the students started to bore holes into him with their silent glances.

"What!" He suddenly shouted in an accusing tone when the silence just stretched on and on. Those long pauses of silence where grated in Inuyasha's ears. It reminded him of so many things, but most of all: Kagome.

He glanced back at the slumped over girl, her arms wrapped around her frail form. His gaze softened. Was she cold? What had happened to her right behind his back?

_RIIIIING!_

The hanyou's amber gaze flitted to the door as the students shook their heads, blinked their wide eyes, and licked their dry lips as they went on their way. They filed, noisily, out of the room, leaving only the miko, hanyou, and teacher.

"Let's go." Kagome said, flatly, as she raised her tingling body from the seat. Her eyes never met Inuyasha's as she walked, stiffly, to the open door.

"Wait…Inuyasha?" Murashima interrupted, throwing out a halting hand as the hanyou followed almost obediently after his companion.

"How did you-" Was all he could get out before the new boy spoke again in a low tone, one filled with feeling that meant something no one could ever understand.

"Take it from someone with the experience. It just doesn't work that way." He said in a low, soft voice dripping with a solemn tone as he silently strode after Kagome.

..:---.--...-----:...

See! That wasn't too long until my next update!

Sorry about not adding in that Miroku and Sango part. I'll start off the next chapter with it, I promise.

But, anywho. This chapter was a real bother. I kept getting really stuck on it! I'm not sure why!

Oh, well. Point is, it's up now. So enjoy and stay tuned, once again, for my next chapter.

This one will come a bit slower, though. Sowwies.

R & R!

C-ya!


	35. Breaking The Habit

Chapter 33

A short mew from a certain twin tailed feline struck Sango out of her constant thoughts. Lately, the slayer didn't seem to be doing anything but. Those lingering feelings, thoughts, and dreams that never seemed to leave her alone, all at the start of the monk's kiss. She didn't regret it. Not one living second of it, but the dark thoughts just wouldn't fade. So many questions still ticked in the back of her mind. Like: 'Will it really change everything?' and 'Is he going to be true to me now?' and even 'Does everyone hate us for falling in love?'. It was possible. Even little Shippo was starting to avoid them now.

The slayer found herself not completely trusting the lecherous monk alone in a room with anyone else. But, would anyone with a lover like him? Still, it struck her as so odd when referring to him as a 'lover'. He hadn't declared it, she hadn't declared it. So were they really in such a relationship?

She shook her head, lowering her mahogany eyes to her long time pet and friend as the neko youkai climbed into her lap.

"Hello, Kirara." She murmured in a tiny voice of greeting before forcing the faintest of a smile over her trembling lips. It didn't convince the feline, knowing Sango far too long to be fooled by such a thing.

Kirara mewed one more, pushing the top of her furry head against the slayer's stomach, nuzzling her gently to snatch back her full attention. Sango only spared a quick glance at Kirara before slipping a hand into her velvety mane of tan fur that nestled around her neck. She worked her thin fingers between the pleasured neko's shoulder blades before sighing gently and snapping the little cat out of her trance.

Kirara gently pawed at her companion's arm, making soft sounds as an attempt to rise the slayer from her pessimistic thoughts.

"What do you think that monk's up to, right about now, Kirara?" She asked, unable to pry her thoughts from him. It was completely and utterly impossible. He would always just find his way back to her awaiting mind.

Kirara squeaked softly, wriggling from under Sango's light weighted hand to hop, suddenly, from her warm lap. The slayer's eyes flicked to the feline as she trotted up the grassy hill, pausing abruptly to mew to the slayer, urging her up and onward to follow.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked, slowly rising to her wobbly feet to trace the small neko's paw prints as she disappeared over the hill.

"Oh, wow…" She whispered to herself as her eyes danced over the village. The sun shown bright over the short huts and towering trees, making everything glow as if drenched in liquid sunshine. Including the gleeful people of the village who trotted around, kids swarming at their sides to tug and play at the material of their clothes. Their smiles made them glow even more so, if it was possible.

Another soft, ringing, squeak snapped the slayer back to reality and set her brown eyes down to Kirara once more, who sat at her feet in a relaxed position. She rose a small, charcoal paw to her muzzle and licked it softly before cocking her head and shooting her eyes near the side of the hut.

"What?" Sango asked, far more curious of what the feline was trying to tell her than she should be. Her eyes snapped to follow Kirara's gaze until she hit target. The smile dropped clean from her face as the sound of cheery women's laughter rang in her ears. Laughter that could never belong to her.

"Kirara…why…why would you show me this?" He asked in a voice only one notch above a solemn whisper.

But, she couldn't keep her eyes away. If she could somehow summon the courage to watch with dry eyes, she would receive an answer to one of those thousands of backbreaking questions. She had to know, she just had to. But she could almost predict what happened next.

Miroku's eyes fanned quickly over to the herd of elegantly dressed women, fidgeting slightly on the wooden bench he sat at. Each one thin, dainty, graceful, and beautiful beyond compare. The monk knew that he had had no chance with them before and had most likely come onto each and every one of them once before, but was that really enough to keep him away for too long?

Nearer, and Miroku could almost feel the drool start to escape his pressed lips. Seeping through, and he sucked it back in. Those mischievous blue eyes just wouldn't pry from those pretty, joyful girls.

'Time it, Miroku, time it….' He told himself, pepping himself for the jump up. If he could grab a woman's hand on the first attempt, he would give himself a mental trophy.

Almost, almost, and the monk's brows furrowed, a thought creeping in. They group passed, laughing and giggling, sending cute glances towards the handsome monk who did not a thing but smile kindly in return. Though, just couldn't help it as his blue eyes lowered to their backsides to watch for a moment as they tripped off into the distance.

"Miroku!" Was the only, startling, warning the slayer gave before she crashing into the monk's longing arms. Her own arms looped around his neck as she buried her tear streaked face in the crook of his neck.

"Sango." He said, returning her name as his arms closed in around her to hold her in the soft embrace. He knew then, that she must have been watching, and he couldn't help but ask himself if he was really that untrustworthy. Still, he would have proved her wrong that day if that be the case.

"I…Miroku, I can't believe that you actually…I could have sworn that you were going to try something perverted." She spoke softly as she pulled back to raise her mahogany eyes to his. She carefully crawled from his lap to sit herself beside the monk, but never take her tear rimmed eyes from his blue ones. Those cursed eyes that would follow a woman forever. Was that the only thing that was cursed now?

"Don't be silly, Sango! You're the only woman for me." Miroku replied with that darned grin that signaled the lecherous monk's next action. Though she had been expecting it, the slayer still froze with a pink tinge to her cheeks as she felt a warm hand stroking over her hindquarters. Apparently, his eyes weren't the only cursed thing. He still had that wandering hand.

The slayer rose a flattened palm, her teeth gritting silently. Maybe if he hand draped his arm around her shoulders or a quick kiss on the cheek, maybe even a full on kiss or the touch of his hand to hers, but not this. Still, she knew it would take some time to get him to break the habit, and he was already trying hard enough to steer away from the other women.

Slowly, her hand lowered and curved around her back to take hold of Miroku's wrist. She gave it a harsh squeeze, just a tiny warning as she lifted it from behind her and dropped the cursed hand back into his lap without another word.

It was a surprising sight to see Miroku hunched over, cringing, just waiting for that dread slap that he always received. If he knew it was just going to come right after, why did he keep doing it?

"Aheh…" He laughed softly, his face turning a soft beet red as he dared to open his blue eyes back to her. All Sango could do was smile and smile, adding to the glow of the village around her.­­­­­

..:---.-.-.-..-.----:.. 'Ello again! Sorry for being so slow and for breaking that promise earlier. I said I would start the next chapter with them...but I made the WHOLE chapter about them. Not really a bad thing, no. But anyways. Moving on...to...OH MA GA! WHASS DAT? IT'S A REVIEW BUTTON! Yes, yes, you get it now? Reviews are always good to show me how much you loved/like/disliked/hated my story! Though I think you know which one I'd prefer... -sings- L.O.L.O.L.O.L.O.V.E! 


	36. Return of 'That Hobo Guy'

Chapter 34

"Your days are growing shorter, Inuyasha. The day is nearly upon you now. You will fall into my plan, half-breed. You will die along with that wench you call a friend. "

"That had to be the longest day of my entire life!" Kagome exclaimed with a short laugh as she tugged at a pale wrist to get it to follow her. She jogged hurridly to the front doors of her school, dragging the boy dressed in red behind her.

"You're tellin' me." The boy snorted, following after Kagome at a slower pace. His amber eyes flashed wildly around him, studying the faces of the awestricken students who passed them with wide eyes. What was so different about him? Was it his bright golden eyes, or his silvery hair? Or maybe it was his outstanding clothes or long, razor sharp nails? Or was it his ivory fangs that protruded from his gums as a human's should be? Whatever it was, it received multiple unwanted gawks.

The miko stretched out a hand to push open the door, but a few other students beat her to it, slapping open the door and skipping off as if Kagome and Inuyasha were nothing but a figment of light or shadow. The two had to quickly duck out the door to avoid getting smacked in the faces with it. But the shining sun that smiled down on them, took all those scornful thoughts and ripped them to shreds.

"Well. It's over, finally. But we should head by the stor-wh-whoa!" Kagome cried out, cringing slightly as she felt a sharp blow to the shoulder as a student rushed by. She felt herself suddenly falling down, stumbling over a few hard pavement steps and a strike of pain ripping through her left leg before warm arms swept around her.

"Inu…Inuyasha?" She breathed his name in surprise as she raised her milky brown eyes to his. You'd think that the miko would get used to having him sweep her out of danger just in the nick of time, but she was almost sure that that would be the moment when Inuyasha didn't cradle her in his arms, keeping her safe from everyone and everything.

"Clumsy fool." Inuyasha spat out, his hands clamped around Kagome's waist, holding her steady on her jelly legs, throbbing wildly with pain. "Where does it hurt?"

"M-My…ankle. I think I sprained it." She whispered, stammering on her words as the pain crept up her scraped limbs. She didn't have a chance to utter another word before the scent of the miko's blood invaded Inuyasha's nostrils. He grunted softly as he lifted her onto a stone pedestal, molded to the side of the school in place of railing.

"Which one?" He demanded, crouching at her feet with a glare of determination. He quickly wiped a few fingers over a slick, clean cut on Kagome's thigh, brushing away the drops of crimson blood that had slipped through the fault. Without an answer, the hanyou raised a pointed finger to prod, gently, at the girl's left ankle.

"Ouch! Hey!" Kagome cried, pulling her legs back from his warm touch. Warm, yes, but very painful.

Again, a short grunt emerged from his throat at her small outburst. His silken dog ears attempted to flick backwards underneath the pressure of the bandana, but it was no use. He could move them an inch, only listen closely to the short giggles and soft whispers of three female voices that lingered somewhere behind him.

Kagome thought about calling out to the voices, pretty sure of who they belonged to, but soon decided against it as she watched Inuyasha crouch lower and turn his back to her, holding his hands behind him, meanwhile, searching for the source of the high pitched giggles.

"What are you doing?" She asked in a mildly confused voice at the hanyou's odd poise. Her heart drummed wildly in her chest as a flock of butterflies battered their colorful wings in her belly.

"You hurt your leg. It'd be easier and less of a hassle if I just carried you. So get on and stop wasting time!" Inuyasha ordered, pushing his back against Kagome's legs to edge her on.

She suppressed a heavy sigh before giving in to the hanyou's attempt of somewhat kindness. She carefully eased herself off the pedestal and gripped Inuyasha's shoulders gently. She breathed heavily, easily feeling the hanyou's strong shoulders beneath his baggy kimono. Kagome even flinched a little as she felt Inuyasha's strong arms weave around her legs, holding her fast to his back as he stood quickly.

'What's he being so…or…semi nice for?' She wondered, looping her arms around his neck before she had a chance to fall backwards. Even if she had, she doubted the hanyou would ever let her fall. He had proven that many a time before. Too many times for her to start doubting him now. In fact, she couldn't remember every doubting Inuyasha. With all that tough and confident talk, it was nearly impossible.

Another sharp giggle and whisper snapped Kagome out of her thoughts and her brown eyes narrowed slightly in unison with Inuyasha's. The miko was pretty sure of who their stalkers were.

'Eri? Yuka? Ayumi?' She sighed mentally. 'Are you guys gonna follow us all the way home?'

Without a simple warning or word at all, Inuyasha darted from the school, skipping over the steps in a single leap where he landed a few feet away. He weaved through the rushing student as a flash of red and silver, holding his school girl companion to his back.

"I…I'm really fine, it's not that bad at all! I don't even think it's a sprain! I probably just twisted it a little. I'll be fine in a few minutes, really! You don't have to carry me all this way." Kagome offered as the hanyou sped out onto the sidewalk, whizzing past stunned people whose eyes just never resized.

"Don't play dumb, Kagome. We're almost there anyway." Inuyasha stated, pushing aside her offer to let her down, maker walk, like a dirtied napkin.

"Inuyasha!" She called his name near his bandana trapped ear a few minutes later, then feeling Inuyasha jerk beneath her.

"I'm not deaf, you know! I can still here you through this thing!" He retorted, slightly annoyed, or that was the expression on his face at the very least. "What?"

"I need to go to the grocery store." Kagome said, sighing gently but unable to hold back the smile that had formed over his snap back at her. "Do you know where that is?" She added.

"I will, if you tell me." Inuyasha said, his tone lowering as his eyes scanned over the streets. His thoughts of the dangers of Kagome's realm never faded when he visited the future era. Those cars, whizzing past, nearly at his same speed, bugged him the most.

"Just keep going. I'll tell you when to stop." Kagome replied, dipping her face low. She pulled in a pleasured breath as the tip of her nose buried into the hanyou's silken hair. She breathed again, this time, taking in his scent. The natural smell of pine needles and wood put a smile to her lips. Inuyasha had said once that he loved her scent, though she had never told him how much she loved his, as much as she truly did.

"Right." Inuyasha agreed, bobbing his head firmly in a short nod as he leapt on across the streets, Kagome secure on his back.

He dashed, just a streak of bright color to the passing people, running at the speed of light. He waited, ran, and waited again for Kagome's call to halt. He wouldn't stop until then, enjoying the feel of the wind in his hair and face, cooling down the hot flashes his body had received with the miko's touch. And Kagome didn't want it to end either, perfectly fine, inhaling breath after breath of Inuyasha's sweet scent.

Kagome's eye lids gradually slid closed. It was hard to keep her eyes open when her cheek was resting against a silver cloud that anyone could just fall asleep on. And she just about did until a sharp growl rumbled through his throat, vibrating against Kagome's cheek. She could feel the hanyou's arms grip on her thighs tighten protectively, startling the girl completely out of her trance.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" She questioned, quietly, as a name rang out from above all the other stranger's soft speaking.

"Kagome!" He called, and she raised her head to glance straight ahead at the tall, handsome, brown haired, school boy that was making his way towards a dazed miko and a very enraged hanyou.

..:---.-.-.--..----:..

Lord have mercy. Stupid typos.

Anyway...Here's this one! I love the name of this chapter. It tickles me, it really does. Star wars-y...whatever.

Oh! By the way, don't be afraid to threaten my life for more updates! More motivation! WHOO! Really...I need to shake this stupid writers block...

REVIEWS!


	37. She Will Never Be Yours

Chapter 35

Sharp blades seemed to shoot towards Hojou, with just one of Inuyasha's fuming looks. His teeth gritting, his eyes slitted, he glared daggers at the boy, his grip on Kagome tightening by the second.

"Hey, Kagome!" He called again, a snapping snarl pushing up from Inuyasha's throat at his words. He stepped forward, boldly, awaiting the school boy's next move. "Who's your friend?"

The hanyou sank low, his eyes narrowed at Hojou with a glare that could bring a man to his knees. The look in his amber eyes could tell anyone that he was just daring them to take another step into his territory. One more step. One more growl. Just a matter of minutes until those razor blades nails scraped across Hojou's face.

"Inuyasha, calm down! He's alright, he really is. That's just Hojou!" Kagome tried to calm Inuyasha, cooing to him as if he were an animal. That only made him act up more, shifting the girl behind him so that she could slide from his back with ease.

"This is Inuyasha, Hojou." She introduced, late from when the boy had asked it. She slipped from the hanyou's back, shifting her weight and experimenting her hurt foot, mildly surprised when she didn't feel a single ounce of pain strike through her. She parted her lips again to say something when she felt a warmth spread over her side. Glancing down, she realized a pale, clawed hand secured on her hip. Her confusion-filled eyes switched back to Inuyasha as he pushed back into her.

'W-What? What's he doing?' She wondered, feeling her heart flutter at the feel of his touch. 'He never gets this way around Kouga! But then again…Kouga didn't kiss me. Oh no. Inuyasha! Please don't hurt Hojou!' She mentally pleaded with him, her concerned eyes joining in on the silent begging rant.

"Oh. Hello, Inuyasha." Hojou said, politely as he thrust out a hand. His skin was tan, so much darker than Inuyasha's when it was already hard to believe that the hanyou could be so colorless when he got so much sun.

The hand stretched towards him received multiple dagger shooting glares before Hojou lowered it to bow softly. Such a polite boy, maybe that was why Kagome didn't take much of an interest in him.

"Go, Kagome." Inuyasha commanded, not even sparing her an explaining glance as he ordered her on, his eyes never leaving Hojou's.

"Wha-"

"Go!" He demanded again, his voice louder and harsher than before, signaling Kagome to go then and not any later. That was, unless she wanted to get caught in the brawl along with them.

She shot Hojou a strange glance, almost as if to say 'I'm sorry. I can't help you anymore.' Before she slipped away, leaving Inuyasha's warm hands behind, though she never pulled her eyes away from them as Inuyasha took a bold step forward with a sneer on his face.

"Are you okay?" Hojou asked, his voice wavering slightly as his eyes moved up and down the muscular hanyou's body. He was rather terrifying to a mere mortal when he was angry.

"What the hell's your problem anyway?" Inuyasha shouted, ignoring his question and raising a threatening fist that stole a gasp from Kagome's throat a few yards away.

"I-I don't know what you mean." Hojou stammered, his eyes flitting wildly from the hanyou's clenched fist and raging amber eyes. It was clear to see that he really didn't know what he had done to make the stranger so angry at him. And that innocent sparkle in his eye could turn anyone around or bring on a smile, but not this hanyou.

"Don't play dumb, Hobo!" Inuyasha retorted, advancing on the confused boy only to have Kagome's frantic voice reach his ears, pinned down beneath the blue bandana she had given him.

"Would you just chill out, Kagome!" He shouted back to her, barely hearing her words before. He knew it would just be a futile plead not to end poor Hojou's life.

"It's Hojou." The boy suddenly corrected.

"Whatever!" Inuyasha breathed, rolling his eyes slightly before grasping Hojou's shoulder and yanking him close to whisper dangerous words in his ear.

"She will never be yours…" He said, eerily, into the confused boy's ear before he shoved him away. "So would you BACK OFF?"

"I don't get it! I'm sorry! I was just trying to get Kagome something for her fly syndrome!" Hojou explained, each word without a drip of humor despite the impossible disease which made Inuyasha squint with annoyance.

"…What?…" The hanyou blurted in a low, irritated voice after a long pause. He blew out a breath, blinking slowly and seriously to mount with the eeriness of the entire encounter.

"Okay. I'm going to make this short…and simple." Inuyasha started up again, gripping Hojou's shoulder even tighter as he did so. He wanted the startled boy's full attention, and if he ever was to lose it, the hanyou would lose himself.

"Please, Inuyasha!" Kagome pleaded again, begging now, nearly on her knees to get him to leave Hojou alone, let him go unharmed. She couldn't stand it. She just didn't want him to be another body lying cold in the gutter. And, Inuyasha could do just that, if he really wanted to.

The determined inu half demon ignored her every word, dripping with that deep pleading. She really meant it, she really wanted the boy to go free and unharmed. Somehow, the hanyou seemed to droop a bit, his eyes lost a little of that confident shine and his sneer lessened into a tiny frown.

'Does she…love him? Why is she so set on letting him go free! I could just kill him, right here, right now!' He argued with himself for moments on end, what to do about the boy who had begun to tremble slightly in his grip. 'If Kagome wants him….if she's in love with him…then I guess I have no say in it.'

His hand fell from Hojou's shoulder, but he wasn't pleased yet. He had no say in it, he couldn't make Kagome fall out of love, but that didn't mean a thing of whether he could slaughter the boy right then and there or not. He raised a hand, sharp nails glinting in the sunlight. His amber eyes raged and shot daggers at the both of them with such a horrible glare that could shut anyone up at once.

..:---.-.-.-.--.---:..

BLOOD WILL BE SPILT TONIGHT!

-snort- Hence the 'overprotective, obsessive, two timing, biker boy boyfriend' poor Inu has been labeled as.

So...It's up. Bet YOU'RE glad...meanwhile...I have a serious case of writer's block...HAH! So you're just gonna have to wait awhile... -smirk-

And meanwhile again, more reviews...uhh...suggestions..DONATIONS! No, kidding... -.-

Till then, my friends...


	38. The Mysterious Letter

Chapter 36

Hojou's eyes suddenly clamped closed as he waited for the hit, for the blood, and then the blackness of death. No, dear Hojou would never think that way. Did he have a need to think anything of that upraised hand, itching to lash down and gouge out his eyes and rip apart his lips, never to touch Kagome's again.

But only a sigh escaped the hanyou and his hand lowered to clamp around Hojou's chin and bring his face back to his own.

"Stay away from Kagome." He ordered, each word pronounced firmly and harshly in a deadly tone that hit Hojou right on target and sent him a few steps back after Inuyasha let go.

Glaring, watching, they exchanged glances, just waiting for the other one to speak up and break the deadly silence. Finally, one of them spoke.

"H-Here…then…give this to Kagome for me? Please." Hojou piped up, gently reaching a hand to his side to fish around in his pocket for a few agonizingly boring and long seconds before pulling out a folded piece of white paper. He pushed it, reluctantly and carefully into Inuyasha's waiting and impatient hand.

The hanyou's fingers curled, slowly, around the paper, almost crushing it as he watched Hojou turn quickly on his heels and walk across the street without another word.

The satisfaction that flooded through Inuyasha shined through the wide grin on his face. Even though Hojou's blood wasn't dripping from the tips of his nails, he felt satisfied enough, knowing the boy wouldn't dare come near Kagome again. That protection he felt he needed to shade her with was starting to overpower him. Or maybe it was that harsh feeling that the miko had chosen that school boy over him, at least for that moment.

Inuyasha turned, clutching the flat, folded, paper in his hand as he strode back in Kagome's direction. His jaw dropped to mutter a few words but the miko's one harsh word beat him to it and also sent him crashing to the ground, almost before she finished it.

"Sit!"

The hanyou grumbled, cursing to himself rather than to Kagome, avoiding another sit command that was nearly forming on her tongue already. He simply pushed himself up from the crater he lay in, with no little effort.

"Could we skip some of the pain, here!" He cried out, unable to hold back a soft growl towards the girl he had blown his top to protect.

"Could we skip some of the death of my friends?" Kagome hollered back as she stepped beside of the hanyou. Her eyes flickered slightly with a smidge of happiness, of humor before they skated over to the slip of white that Inuyasha was clenching.

"What's that?" She asked, her brows furrowing slightly. She had seen Hojou slip something into his hand, but the memory had nearly fleeted her until now.

"I was going to give it to you before you sat me! Maybe I should just keep it." Inuyasha said, huffing slight as he crossed his long, pale arms over his chest and turned up his nose, something he instantly regretted and struggle to fix as he heard Kagome form the sound of a loud, warning, hissing 's'.

"It's some kind of paper. I don't know what it is but it looks stupid. He said it's for your…fly disease. Whatever the hell that is" The hanyou gave, quickly, before she could finished the dreaded word. He stretched out an arm, offering the now crumpled piece of paper for Kagome to instantly snatch up.

"Fly disease? Grandpa must've….but I've been in school all this week. Why would he need to make up a…Ugh…" Kagome sighed heavily. Those stupid fake diseases he came up with. 'Fly disease' had to be the worst on her chart, and even when she was still going to school. It just didn't make any sense.

"What's it say? Read it out loud." Inuyasha commanded, jumping up from his spot of the pavement and slipping up behind Kagome to peer over her shoulder.

"Hold on a minute, gosh!" She exclaimed, whirling around to hide the hanyou's eyes from the still-folded up paper. Teasingly, she plucked out the corners of it, whirling away each time Inuyasha would try to read the note from over her shoulder.

"Kagome! Stop it!" He cried, pulling a short giggle from the girl's throat as she flipped open the crumpled paper.

"Alright, alright!" She gave, turning the handwritten note to her face just as three wide and long strips of colorful paper floated to her feet, scattered slightly by the wind.

"What are these things?" Inuyasha questioned, already crouched down and pinching one of the papers between his fingers, squinting at the little writing like he would to Myouga right after the flea had had a good meal of his blood.

"H-Hey! Gimme that!" Kagome cried, dropping down to snatch the piece of paper from his slight grip.

"Well, what is it?" The hanyou asked again, trying to force an answer from her this time to cure his sincere curiosity.

"It's just a food coupon, alright?" Kagome said, gathering the rest of the little pieces of paper with picture foods all over them. She straightened her body again to lower her eyes back down to the handwritten letter. From side to side, her brown eyes scanned, picking up yet barely comprehending the words as she read it as fast as she could with Inuyasha's nose right at her feet.

"A food cou- what?" He asked, rising to his feet to glare into Kagome's face with a questioning look before swiping his glance to the letter in her hands. Turning his own golden orbs back to those widened eyes of brown, his curiosity grew.

"What does it say?" He cried out suddenly, snapping her attention away. Her hands caved in around the paper, crumpling it into a quick little ball and stuffing it in her school skirt's pocket.

"N-Nothing. Nothing you'd be interested in. It's not important." She pushed out, turning quickly to hurry along the sidewalk, a short limp returning to her foot as Inuyasha followed obediently, though the complete boredom shined in his dimmed eyes. 'Home. Quickly. Now.'

The hanyou rushed behind Kagome, his watchful amber eyes catching the fault in her left leg. He swept her off her feet and into his arms, feeding his amusement with the squeal that left her lips at being dumped into his arms. Though, instead of a sharp demand to let her down, instinctively, an arm wrapped around his torso.

A soft smirk pulled through Inuyasha's lips at her reaction. Even though anyone else could find themselves relaxing, though he should, he just couldn't. Hojou was gone, Kagome was in his arms, accepting his warm arms willingly. But he couldn't push the stammer in her words when she rejected his demand to see what the letter read. If it had truly been nothing important, she would have willingly dropped it down for him just to make him shut up. But she hadn't. So the thought of that crumpled piece of paper, given by a lovestruck boy, being something a little more than 'not important', still nagged at the back of his mind.

He shook his head slightly, shaking away the lingering thoughts. Sooner or later, he'd find out. Sooner or later, he would read the contents of that supposedly less-than important letter.

..:---.-.--..-.---:..

Yay for the quick updates! Heh. Actually. I Just wrote alot while the site was being a butt and wouldn't let me upload a chapter.

So! There you go, and I'll just waddle on over to the next chapter, eh?

DAAAD! I TOLD YOU THAT BUG GOT INSIDE THE HOUSE! Ew, ew, get it off! wiggle

-sigh- Okay. So let me get this firefly back outside and THEN I'll get working on the next chapter...oi.. -.-


	39. Why Is My Heart Breaking?

Chapter 37

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha, wait!" Kagome cried out, struggling to make her weak voice heard over the rushing wind as the hanyou sped through the air, towards the Higurashi estate.

It took him a moment to realize the quiet, shrill protests were trailing from the lips of the miko that lay in his arms. His questioning eyes flashed downward in a look of annoyance as he forced himself to skid to a stop on the tan, paved, sidewalk.

"What is it now?" He demanded, his grip on Kagome shifting so he could look down into her pale face with furrowed brows.

"I still need to go to the grocery store!" She replied, wiggling in his arms but not making any attempt to remove herself from his pleasing embrace. She didn't want to. She knew it, and she would admit it. She was comfortable laying in his arms, with her life in his hands and her heart in her eyes.

Inuyasha rose his nose to the air, taking in a deep breath through his sensitive nostrils. He could taste the food in the air, singling out the scents streaming from Kagome's house. "Keh. I have a feeling your mom already beat you to it." He said, curling his arms around the girl as he took off again, despite her confused cries.

"What are you talking about, Inuyasha? It's my job to get the groceries when I'm here." Kagome protested, but by the time she uttered the last word of her sentence, the hanyou was already walking across the lush grass of the miko's clean cut yard.

"Too late. We're already here and I ain't taking you all the way back!" Inuyasha replied, nudging open the sliding front door to the house with his shoulder. It was almost as though the two had completely forgotten Kagome was still lying in the inu half demon's arms as he stepped inside to the wide eyes of Kagome's Mom, Grandpa, and brother.

"I-Is there...something wrong with Kagome?" Souta asked, stammering on his words by the sight in front of him. Not only did a red hot blush crawl over the little boy's cheeks, but over the two teens as well.

"Hurt leg?" Kagome's mother suggested.

"Woozy head?" Kagome's grandfather added.

"I just…I...hurt my leg, that's it. Yeah. I'm fine now. Inuyasha was just making sure I...Um..." The rest of the broken sentence fleeted her mind as the blush across her cheeks deepened. Wiggling slightly, Inuyasha quickly dropped the girl back to her feet and slowly inched his way out of the kitchen, leaving Kagome behind to defend for herself in the only way the hanyou didn't know how to protect her.

Boom after startling boom, thunder struck the loudest in the hanyou's ears as he stared, carefully, at the girl who stood across the room. Inuyasha examined every movement she made as she ran the brush through her long, long, raven locks. Eyeing her green skirt and white blouse that she had laid on the counter she had laid them on.

That note. He remembered her stuffing it into that green pocket of hers. Now only if she would leave the room, if he could get a moment along to rummage in those pockets. Just to put that curiosity of his to a rest.

Kagome could feel those amber eyes boring holes into her back as she pulled the brush through her silken charcoal hair. She fought the strong urge to turn around and shoot daggers at him with her own brown orbs. He was just waiting for something and she knew it. But how could she keep it from him if she didn't even know what he sought?

"Kagome! Com'mere real quick!" Like an answer to the inu hanyou's prayer, Souta's voice cried up from the bottom of the stairs. Inuyasha's dog ears flicked slightly, moving in the direction of the booming sound that echoed over the thunderstorm progressing outside the window. Kagome even jumped a little when her brother's voice broke the silence of the room.

The unwilling miko sighed heavily before running the brush through her dark tresses one last time and setting down the brush to stand tall and send a glaring look towards Inuyasha. He watched her leave the room without a word. Without a simple 'behave' or 'stay here' as she strode from the room, leaving the entire area for his amusement.

Jumping up with a slight smirk, the hanyou immediatly went for the neatly folded clothes without a thought about it at all. As if there was an alarm surrounding the clothing shed from the miko's body only moments ago, he pushed a clawed hand into the flat pile. Digging, digging, until his sharp nails scraped over the scratchy material of white, crumpled, paper.

This was it. Inuyasha pulled the balled paper from the colored fabric, his golden eyes wide with excitement and anticipation. 'What could it say? What could it say?' Was the only thing he could think as he carefully un-crumpled the dreaded paper to peer at it's worn writing. 'What does it say?' He squinted at the tiny words, reading what he could manage to comprehend.

' Dear Kagome,

Take these special food coupons to the grocery store and get yourself some good fruit. I'm positive your illness will be over soon if you wash it away with sweet juices. Just promise me you'll get well soon. You seem to be very ill lately. I hope you'll be alright.

Don't bother thanking me. I understand. Besides, it was nothing. Really! I'm glad to help a friend in need. Though, would it be right to refer to you as a friend?

I've been thinking, I think it's time you came to my house to eat a nice dinner with me and my parents. They're really nice people, I promise. Anytime you want! That is, if you want to. I just think my family should see the girl of my dreams.

Love you, Hojou.'

Inuyasha blinked, stared, and blinked again. He could feel a heat form in his chest, pounding to get out. It was like with each faded word that the naive boy wrote, drove another nail through his heart. And it hurt. It really did. He could feel his heart breaking as he tore the letter between his shaking hands. Thinking, 'She loves him.' over and over. So why should he care? He didn't know why he should care, and he argued with himself about it, all in his head. He wasn't in love with Kagome, right? Those dreams didn't mean a thing, right? Hojou and Kagome were made for each other, right? So why was the hanyou's heart breaking in two?

..:---.-.-.-.-.-.---:..

Woot! Next chapter! Wow. I...yeah...I must really not have a life. I'm too quick on updates.

But that's alright cuz you people LOVE IT!

And let me just say thank you to all my lovely little reviewers and friendly peoples who have me on their alerts and favorites pages! This includes Elizabeth Hemingway, iceprincess421, lythe224, Antilove066, Big City, -x-miya-x-, and little-miss-inu! YOU GUYS ROCK!

Thanks, guys. Enjoy this chapter and stay tuned! You guys are gonna LOVE this next chapter...and cry...slash hate..BUT ANYWAYS! C-ya!


	40. Not Together

Chapter 38

Soft, bare, footsteps trailed back into the girl's room, followed by a short sigh as brown eyes lowered to a shredded note that lay, in pieces, on the ground. Kagome kneeled by the severed paper before raising her eyes to take a short glimpse around the empty room. It didn't take the miko long to realize what, exact, letter that was that had been left for her to see as read by another.

"No.." She murmured, softly, as she read over the chopped up sentences Hojou had written. "No way." She repeated, shaking her head in disbelief at the wide open window, purple curtains billowing wildly in the harsh wind.

She refused to believe it. Inuyasha hadn't read the letter and he hadn't run away. There was no way he would just leave her there, right? He would never get that upset about something that meant nothing to her. But the throw open window, spewing in cold rain, and stone hand that was crushing her heart, told her otherwise. Even as she approached the window, rain dotting the carpet in small, round, dark, dots, the thought that he had left her nagged at her mind.

'How could I have left it out like that? How could I have not noticed that was what he was staring at me so hard for…that was what he wanted!' She scolded herself as she poked her red face into the oncoming rain. Rain. That always mean something between them was going to happen. It always did. But how could anything happen when the hanyou didn't even exist in this time period anymore?

"Inuyasha? Inuyasha!" She called, her voice cracking and twisting into a voice she hardly recognized as her own. Her eyes, blurred by the rain, searched the darkness outside her window. She was barely able to see two inches in front of her on her search when she heard a voice call out, weakly, to her own.

"Whatduh ya want?" Inuyasha's familiar and soothingly low voice rang in Kagome's ears minutes after he had ended his sentence.

A long, heavy breath streamed from Kagome's throat at the realization that the hanyou was still here. So he hadn't left her for that realm that they were destined to return to and plunge straight into battle in. He was still with her, he hadn't left just yet. She knew she had to make it up to him now or never.

Kagome took a wild step onto the slippery window sill. Sliding only slightly, she turned and took hold of the jutting edge of the roof and struggled to pull herself upward with nothing much weak arm muscles. Her struggle was obvious with frustrated grunts and her white and wet fingers working at the slippery black shingles of the roof. Still, she continued her attempt to raise herself onto the roof until she felt a warm hand grasp around her wrist. Suddenly, she was yanked upward with a semi gasp thrown into the air from her startled lips.

"Fool. You're going to get yourself killed." He snorted, dropping her wrist like a still-burning clump of hot coal.

Kagome's lashes dripped with cold rain as she managed to catch her balance and scale the side of the slick roof to settle herself beside the hanyou who had positioned himself with his arms folded behind his head, letting the freezing droplets of rain shower down on his shirtless body.

Shirtless? Where did his haori and yukata go? Kagome pushed away the thoughts as she scooted herself closer while struggling not to slip off the side and down to the hard and muddy ground below. Right now, she just needed to let Inuyasha know that he wasn't unloved. He needed to know that Hojou meant nothing, NOTHING, but a friend to her. Hardly even that.

She sat at his side, Inuyasha's amber eyes flicking up to her and then quickly to the star splashed sky, clouded by rain and pollution. Now he could tell why Kagome was always so intrigued by the nightfalls of his time. But he still couldn't see why the miko was scooting closer and lowered herself to lay across his chest, her fingers trailing across his creamy skin.

"Inuyasha...I'm sorry..." She murmured, her face turning inward to brush her lips along his skin in a way she had really meant to. She felt the hanyou tense from underneath her and a blush automatically climbed over her cheeks.

He moved an arm back from his head to touch her silken cheek, wet with rain that was coming down in thick sheets now. His face lowered to her raven hair to take a long, pleasuring breath of her fruity fragrance that he never could get enough of. He wanted to hold her there forever, like he had never read that stupid note. He wanted to cradle her in his arms for all eternity, but he couldn't just forget about his anger towards her. Though, it didn't really seem to be there anymore.

"Save it." He muttered, pulling himself out from under her, easily sliding across the roof a few shingles away. She deserved the guilt. She deserved it all, in Inuyasha's mind, when really, he knew, she didn't. She wasn't two timing him and he wasn't two timing her, because they were never together in the first place. And as if the miko could read his thoughts, she screamed out at him.

"Stop it! Stop it, Inuyasha! You're always, always, trying to break up with me...and we're not even together..." She cried out, thrusting herself forward, blinking harshly, due to the rain. She sent a shaking hand to the side of his face as she leaned into him, his shocked features growing closer as kissed him like there was no tomorrow.

No tomorrow. She must have realized there was a tomorrow as the hanyou's eyes clamped closed, waiting to let the reality of her warm lips sink onto his own. He waited for it, waited for it, before his tongue moved out to run over his lips, searching for hers, just to see if she was there. Running over his lower lip, searching for her taste that should be left there long after. But it took him so long to realize that the modest miko had missed his lips completely and her candy mouth was pressed to his burning cheek.

What a sight, what a dream it could have been if she had hit target, hit HIS target, as it sure wasn't hers. But he accepted it, moving his arms around her waist to pull her closer and feel what he could feel of her lips against his skin, even if it was just his cheek. A friendly kiss. That was all it would ever be, wouldn't it?

His thoughts, until he felt those lips made of silk pull away and set another, sweet, kiss closer to his nose. Inuyasha's breath cut short, his lips trembling for her kiss. Only the kiss of the rain fell on those awaiting lips now. But her kisses crawled downward, leaving red hot spots of where her candy lips touched. Again, he was getting hungry. Hungry for those lips that looked so much like candy. Would they taste like candy as soon as they reached down to his mouth?

Waiting, forever waiting. 'Kiss me.' He urged. 'Kiss me now!' But she wasn't being fast about it. Beg and plead as he would in that silent plea, her lips lingered on his cheek, almost burning holes in his pale skin.

Finally, but still not enough to satisfy the hanyou, a soft kiss hit the corner of his mouth. Inuyasha turned his face inward to brush his own lips against her cheek. Still, the mental begging went on. He felt as though each kiss that missed his lips and set on a friendly front, his sanity inched away from him. His heart pounded, any later, and he knew it would burst from his chest.

'Dammit! Kiss me now, Kagome!'

..:---..-.-..-.-.---:..

Ohh! Think she's gonna do it? You tell me in your reviews.

Yup. I offically have no life. My updates are way too fast! That, or my chapters are way to short. But they have to be chopped right. Right? Cliffys ROCK! HAH!


	41. Confused Feelings

Chapter 39

"That's it, Half breed...lose it. Want her. I can see the need in your eyes. Heh...you'll have her in time. This is just a sample of what's to come. Tell me, Inuyasha...when the day comes...how does it feel to have a corpse for a mate?"

Inch my agonizing inch, her lips came closer to his, occasionally straying from the side of his mouth and back to his cheek that she seemed to be oddly drawn to at that moment. Just a few more inches, centimeters, even, and they would be locked in the first kiss on their free will. And the hanyou felt himself longing for it, just to see what it felt like to feel those candy lips on his own.

'Please. Please.' But she never moved her lips to his. Was she too scared? Too modest? Did she really not like him? Was she really with Hojou? Was that it? It had to be. There was no other reason why she didn't just up and kiss him now, as much as he silently begged.

It was killing him, boring holes into his silken skin. He needed to feel her kiss or nothing at all. He grasped her by the shoulders and tore her away from him, breathing heavily and struggling to regain himself and all his sanity that had fled him while those deceiving kisses proceeded down his face.

"K-Kagome..." He breathed her name, his brows furrowed in an almost angry expression. It was all to melt away with their kiss, if they could ever manage one. If one mere kiss was this hard, he didn't know if he would ever be able to even talk to her again.

And so for the kiss. He need one, he needed her. Even for just a split second as their lips touched in a short kiss. But as Inuyasha leaned forward to place his lips on hers, she dodged away with tears in her eyes. Tears in the rain, once again. All caused by him. Had she even seen how he was lowering his face for a kiss? No. She had turned away too soon to see his lips coming any closer to her own. Besides, her eyes were too filled with tears.

Kagome yanked away from him, slipping down the side of the roof to catch herself on the edge in record time. She lowered herself back onto the sill and finally dropped inside the warm and cozy room, it's bright colors stinging her blurred eyes. Her arms wrapped tightly around her thin frame as rainwater slipped down from her bangs, plastered to her forehead and dripping down her face. Her pajamas were thoroughly soaked now and all the girl could manage was to slip on a loose, teal and white dotted, pajama top before she flopped herself onto her bed.

She lay there for a moment, listening to the rain pound, fighting the tears that were set on breaking out of their prison behind her eyes. When a large and angry pound of Inuyasha's fist against the roof, two startled tears streamed down her face. It was all to leave to the trembling of her chin and then the heaving of her shoulders as she began to sob. She cried hysterically, like a child who's ice cream had toppled off the cone and splattered at their feet. She wept and sobbed and cried into her pillow until it was completely drenched in tears and rain.

'What was I thinking? He doesn't love me...I doesn't love me! I confused my feelings with the truth...He isn't in love with me.' She scolded herself, kicked herself for believing that there was anything more between her and the hanyou other that a slight bond through time. 'I'm just a stupid jewel collector. I'm just a friend...and I guess that's all I'll ever be...'

'He hates me...I love him.' Her last thoughts before her red and stinging eyes closed to let herself slip into a worried sleep.

Rain spattered against the half closed sliding window. Pounding, pounding, thundering, lightening, but not quite enough to stir the young miko from her deep sleep. Nothing could pull her from those cold dreams. Cold like the rain that darted through the open part of the window, soaking her curtain, desk, carpet, anything it could get it icy and wet fingers on.

A slip of silver and red flashed through the cracked window, a clawed hand with bloody knuckles quietly shut the window, severing the pounding rain from their goal to soak the insides of the warm and happy house they seemed to envious of.

Wiping the water-mixed, crimson droplets from his knuckles, Inuyasha's bloodshot eyes moved about the room before resting solely on the girl who lay, shivering, on her bed with tear stained cheeks. The hanyou had to ask himself why in the world would she be crying after such a thing. Those kisses. They had confused the both of them, leaving them both wondering what the other thought of them now. Leaving the emotion-strong hanyou with bloodshot eyes and bloody hands from pounding on the roof to relieve his anger. There was just no other way that didn't involve ripping his claws through his own skin to teach himself a lesson to never upset the girl again. He just hated those tears.

"Kagome." He said her name, the second time and the only word or name he had spoken since that first kiss was lain over his red cheek.

Carefully, he slipped a damp hand under her silken smooth, bare, legs. Gulping slightly, he lifted the pale limbs to pull the covers out from under them and to slip them over her trembling body. Then for him. His last night to sleep in luxury. And why was it so luxury when he was perfectly used to sleeping on hard, cold ground? He didn't want to admit that it was to be beside the girl, curled against her and free to take in her beautiful scent any time he wished, until sunrise.

"I'm sorry, Kagome." He whispered, even a few notches lower than that category. Like he didn't even want her to hear. That was it. He didn't. But he did. But he didn't.

Inuyasha shook his head, clearing away any other words that wanted to choke their way up and ridding his silvery locks of unwanted cold water. She couldn't hear anyway, so what was the point other than to just get it off his chest and lift then weight from his shoulders until day break. Making her cry was the worse thing he could think of doing. Ever. End of conversation. He hated to see her cry. It almost made him feel like crying too.

As silent as a mouse, he snatched his white yukata from where it was, draped over Kagome's rolling chair. He quickly tugged something golden over his head that he had taken off as well, but almost directly after, He shrugged the yukata over his moistened shoulders but didn't bother tying it up before he crept back over the warm-looking bed. A comforting hand grazed Kagome's arm as he pulled back the covers and slid inside with a cautious expression. If she ever found out, what would she do or say?

But those thoughts quickly melted away in a puddle of rainwater on the floor as Inuyasha curled close to the girl who's tears he could still smell in the air. His face dipped to her raven colored hair, he let his amber eyes close and that capturing scent bring him under the blanket of sleep.

..:---.-.-.--..--.--:..

'Ello again. Thanks for all the fantastic reviews! And even a few more great peoples had started hopping in to read! Great peoples, I'm telling you.

And I'll definitely make some more Miroku and Sango parts, Avenger. Just gotta come up with something to happen. Sure It'll be easy enough.

OH! And feel free, for all those artists out there, to draw any scenes from this. Just give me and my ff credit...AND SEND ME A COPY! Yeah...that'd be cool...

KAY! So here it is...Sorry peeps! Just wasn't the moment...Whooo knows when they'll kiss! May be now...or later...or in ten years when they're both really old and fat and drunkies...I mean...

KIDDING!..Geez.. In ten years they'll only be around 26 and 29 and probably be really cool and healthy and fit and hot...though Inu won't really age so fast cuz he's a...nevermind. Moving on. Hope you enjoyed it though!

Off to the next chapter!


	42. And If I Die Before I Wake

Chapter 40

"No. She wasn't supposed to dream this. She wasn't supposed to know...nevermind. It will not alter the path they will eventually fall to. It will all come into line. After all...dreams are just dreams, are they not?"

'Why am I running? I..I don't understand! It's so dark! This forest is so dark!' Kagome thought, her panic rising as a lump in her throat as she sped through the blinding whizzes of green trees. The darkness closed in on her like a big, black, billowing ghost. Those sheets she had lain in with Inuyasha so close, demented and dirtied. 'But I washed them! W-What?' She was just trying to make sense of it all as she ran uncontrollably. She couldn't stop her bare feet from slapping the dirt beneath her.

'I don't understand! Make it stop!' Her mind screamed as no words make it from her dried and bleeding throat. That lump pushed them all back down into the pit of her stomach where they swam and swam, making her sick as if the icy cold talons of panic did not.

Her shadow trailed behind her like a lost puppy. So innocent and small, being dragged over obstacles behind the frantic miko. It wanted freedom, it wanted control. Right before Kagome's eyes, it grew, stretched high above her own form and her feet pounded harder and faster over the rough dirt.

'Who am I running from?' She screamed in her head, struggling to force the words out, to not stumble on the rubble beneath her feet. Rubble of what? She glanced down with wide and teary eyes, breathes catching her throat and choking her. A large, bloody, boomerang. A once-teal bow of nearly red now. A golden, crimson streaked staff. Blood splotched tan fur.

'Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara!' She tried screaming out again but no words came as her legs began to wobble and shake, ache and pound, but there was no way to stop herself now as her panic took control. That was when she realized one name she hadn't called out yet.

Without telling herself to, her bloody and bruised feet stopped dead in their tracks in the middle of pitch black. Nothing. Nothing. 'I can't see anything!' She informed herself, her wide, brown eyes searching the darkness for anything but black, even for that envious shadow of hers which had faded into the blackness around her. Finally, her eyes caught a strange and terrifying sight. Red. Speeding towards her. So fast. It was time to scream out that name.

"Inuyasha!" She cried, the hanyou almost right upon her as she cried out the single poison. A smile nearly lit her face until his features set into view. Those long, bloody claws and wide, red eyes with narrowed blue pupils. Those magenta stripes along his wrists and darting across his cheeks. And those fangs, dripping with blood that trailed from the corner of his mouth. Pure crimson smeared the front of his yukata. His blood or someone else's?

The sight flickered, switching rapidly between a sight that she loved and one that she huddled in fear of. He was kind, staring with wide eyes filled with sympathy, awareness, worry, love, and…fear. Then the other side of dark red eyes, glaring with nails that were destined to rip through her untouched skin. Untouched? 'I...I...hurt...' She moaned in her mind, her eyes lowering to the red haori that was tied around her bleeding body.

'How did I get this way?' She wondered, her knees buckling from the fiery pain. She could feel it? In a dream? Did she know it was a dream?

Her blood trail down her legs and neck, arms and down from her bruised lips. But she ignored the wounds to glance back to the boy in front of her just as his short, pained, scream echoed through her ears.

His blood splattered over her, his eyes rolling back towards hers. Flicker. Claws struck her down her back and shoulder. Flicker. Inuyasha was back to normal and an empty bow rested in Kagome's bloody hands. Now she knew why he screamed, why he moaned quietly with half-closed eyes.

It was too confusing. She just didn't understand. Which was real? Which sight it was flickering between was the real thing? Or was it the same thing? No. Too confusing. Was that an arrow embedded in his chest? What had he just said, stuck to the tree with his blood dripping down the trunk? 'I lo-' What? Who? Did his eyes just close? Did he just fall limp? Did he just die? No! No way! Where had she seen all of this before?

"NO!" Kagome screamed, a cry to curdle one's blood as she dropped to her knees, her blood smeared hands twisting in her dark hair. "NO!" She cried again, her tears streaming down her face in streaks of red, like blood. Like the blood of the hanyou that smeared her hands, the tree, his body and her own.

"No...No...No!" Kagome jerked, flinching under the warm caress of the blankets that hadn't been there before. She blinked harshly, her eyes stinging from the tears that shed before her long, agonizing dream. Sweat trickled down from her forehead where her damp bangs were stuck to. Everything was blurred by darkness. That same darkness she had found herself bleeding and crying in just moments before.

A crack of thunder exploded outside her window, mounting onto the mountain sized horror she felt. She could still feel the hanyou's blood over her. And…something else?

She squinted at the long, limp object that lay over her body, curling in to rest on the pillow beside the girl's face. That warmth, spreading over her side and back. That rhythmetic beating against her spine. What were they?

A gentle smile tugged at the corner of her lips as those familiar claws twitched along with a soft moan in his sleep. Relief flooded through her, filling ever crook and crevice of her insides to know that he was alive and well, and more than that, curled at her back fast asleep. The smile just wouldn't fade as the terror of the dream melted away as if it had never happened. It was just a dream after all, right? I didn't mean a thing.

Slowly, Kagome twisted around under his light grip, that same pleased smile on her lips. It was like it just wouldn't go away. Not ever...or maybe at least until the sun rose. But that was still a couple hours away. Now she could smile while she still had Inuyasha cradling her in his arms. But she wanted to hold him back. Maybe if she could just show him how she felt while he was asleep, he could feel it in his dream so she didn't have to utter a word. What a paradise. No fuss, no rejection. If he knew, he knew, and it was his choice to make something of it or not.

It was stupid and crazy, and she knew it, but the thought stuck as she snuggled in against him, palms spreading over his chest where she lay her head and nuzzled in. Inuyasha groaned, shifting himself and absentmindedly wrapping his arms around her slim form and holding her in a sleepwalking embrace.

A soft sigh stole from her throat, but she didn't bother to hold it back. The sigh was of pure contentness, happiness, relaxation that she hadn't had for so long. Now she knew, by the way he curled to naturally against her, that he had been doing this all along. She didn't doubt it. many times in the night she had rolled over to feel a warmth next to her and many times when she awoke, the sheets next to her would be disturbed and stained with the hanyou's smell. His scent would be smothered against her pillow and the mattress was even slightly warm to the touch.

Kagome wasn't mad. No. Not at all. Not even the whipping wind, exploding thunder and lightening, and pounding rain could reach through those closed windows and thick walls to dampen her mood. And her completely gleeful smiled showed so as she nestled her forehead to his chest and closed her eyes once more, easily falling under the blanket of sleep again with Inuyasha's warm arms holding tightly over her. She could sleep peacefully, now, with her angel watching over her.

..:---.-.-.-.---:..

Cute, huh?

Well. I haven't heard from my bestest review buddies in awhile! Ah! What's up with that?

Okay. I'll put up a Sango and Miroku part next so you people don't get tired of just Inuyasha and Kagome.

Thanks guy-wha-ah!...-blink-...Okay. I'm going to pretend I didn't see that... -turns away from tv-. Right. Anyway. On to the next chapter!


	43. A Questionable Passerby

Chapter 41

Summer time was passing, rapidly, to give way to a horrifically cold fall. The crisp and dry trees had already shed their colorful leaves. The wind held a freezing tinge that whipped at the villager's ankles as they scurried along their way. They were the ones busy this time while Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were the ones who could lay back and relax for once. And, boy, did it feel great!

"Miroku. Miroku, stop it!" The slayer demanded, a giggle rising through her throat as she shoved the monk away by the shoulder to turn back to her work. She dunked the solid green skirt into the cold water, scrubbing the ends of the soft fabric together to force out the splotches of brown dirt. It was odd, not having to scrub out the dark blood that stained itself over her clothing. The whole absence of all the demons at all was odd.

"I wonder why there haven't been any demons arou- hey! Miroku! Quit it!" Sango shoved him away once more as she felt that cursed hand of his creep the side of her black and pink slayer's suit to tickle her playfully. She slapped his hands away to smile softly and return to her work without another word.

"Quit what? I don't know what you're talking about." He claimed, wrapping an arm around her waist and pushing himself onto her back to push her over. When she tumbled flat onto the ground, the Houshi tackled her, hovering over her to dip his head in and peck a few kisses over her nose and forehead.

"Mirokuuuu!" She groaned, wiggling effortlessly under him, a strong grip on her skirt as the rushing river struggled to drag it away for it's own use. The cold water bit at her fingers but she held it as she writhed childishly and playfully.

"Do you remember that promise you made me?" He questioned daringly. His hands inched down her sides, pushing a silver nail through her personal bubble as he pushed her another step out of her comfort zone. But wasn't that just one thing she loved about the many qualities of the monk?

"Yes. Now get off me!" She claimed, wriggling crazily, one wet hand on his shoulder to brace herself and keep a comfortable arm length distance between them.

"Hm. You do? I remember...I remember you promising me that when it was all over, you'd come live with me."

"Yes, I did."

"And you said you would bear my children." His hands crept lower as his legs pinned against Sango's to keep her down. He poked her sides playfully and lowered his face for a kiss when the slayer suddenly spoke with a playful tone.

"Watch it, monk. Naraku isn't dead YET." She stated, swatting Miroku's hands away with her own free hand, still hanging onto that green skirt for dear life. It may just come in handy later on if the slayer's childish screams didn't attract some curious company first.

"We haven't seen him in awhile. He's as good as dead. C'mon." Miroku pleaded jokingly, his hands moving back to take Sango by the waist and muffle her words by a rough kiss with his mouth covering hers to stop her words. The slayer sank into it almost directly after. Any kiss given by him was enough to melt her insides. It shut her up right on the spot until he pulled his lips away to offer a triumphit smile, as if he really accomplished something.

"You pervert." Where her only accusing words as she flung the soaking wet kimono skirt over the monk's head. The slapping sound it made as it connected with his face pulled a harsh laugh from her throat. Quickly, Sango wiggled away as the cold water dripped down Miroku's face. She slid over the dew covered grass as the monk shook the wet cloth from his head, running his hands through his wet and messy brown tresses before he jumped straight up to take off towards Sango.

"No! Stop! Miroku, stop it!" She pleaded, a short cry escaping her throat as she dragged her unprepared legs up and across the green grass. Weaving between bare trees, the monk right behind her, the two of them shed happy laughs that were never shared in battle.

Whizzing past confused villagers, Miroku didn't even spare a glance towards the other village women. His mischievous blue eyes stayed locked on the swishing mane of mahogany hair that trailed behind the slayer. Running, running after her like a cheetah chasing a panicked antelope. His sense of time and everything was stripped from him by the wind as he sprinted, Sango glancing back at him from time to time. Ongoing for what seemed like miles until Miroku nearly toppled over her.

It took a moment to realize she had stopped running and he had nearly smacked right into her. The blank look over her face, those glazed, wide eyes staring out into the forest simply confused Miroku until he rose his eyes to the sight.

A slow figure tumbled through the dense forest, it's white yukata and red hakamas were the only colors that peeked through the protection of the crowded trees. A low, empty whistle slipped through the air, stinging the two's ears. Instantly, even before the few white creatures slithered through the air after the dark figure, they knew who it was and what particular woman still walked the earth.

"Miroku! Sango! I just...I...Phew!" The young fox youkai couldn't even finish his breathless sentence as he bounded up behind the two lovers. Shippo flung himself onto Miroku's shoulder to poke his head in between theirs and finished his rushed words. "I caught a whiff of Kikyou's scent. I think she's here!"

"So we've noticed..." The monk whispered as a pair of brown, teal, and blue eyes trailed after the lone miko they had distrusted so long ago. It was a wonder how she was so able to obtain Inuyasha's love and trust time and time again. None of them understood it or liked it in the least.

"What do you think she's doing here?" Sango wondered aloud, their eyes slowly trailing after the white tips of the soul collector's whisping tails. Each one of them daring for her to step foot near them, near Inuyasha or Kagome. Not when things seemed like they were finally coming together.

"I don't know...But I'm not getting a good feeling about it." Miroku answered as all three of them stared towards the eerie scene of the deceased priestess even after she had been swallowed up by the pitch blackness of the forest beyond their sight.

..:---.-..-.-.----:..

Okay, okay. So this update wasn't that fast...okay...don't rub it in. I've just been really busy.

Alrighty! Taking in Avenger's advice and up goes a Miroku and Sango part. It was weak, yes, I know. I had to come up with something right on the spot and it sucked. WHATEVER!

I've been in a rut lately so...blah. It's up, enjoy it, tell me how much you enjoyed it. Please. Really. Lemme know you loved it if you did. I did get a slightly bad review. Ick. But it doesn't bother me other than that tiny 'ick' uttered when I read it.

And, just to show that person, I shall work my little arse off to get this story up, great, and running. Luffly story. Yes, I'll make it so. They even think I can do better and I'll work off that. Kay? Happy? You guys are gonna get the whole novel treatment!

And this has to be the longest disclaimer I have ever made. Heh...coolio.

How about a nice shout out? ...Hmm...Lemme see. Heeeeeey, Tenseiga-Chan! I know you're out there. You gotta be! -pokeh-. Stop ignoring me! And you too, Avy! I know you gotta be out there too! You guys didn't blow me off, completely, did you?

No? Kay. Cool. And I just wanted to say thanks to all my sweet reviewers! It really makes my day when I get a great review for the story I worked so hard for. Tears, sweat, and blood all for you. Yes, you, Antilove006, Big City, -x-miya-x-, IvyLady, T.T.rox, Kagome077, Inushomaruluvrs(my short and sweeties!), iceprincess421 (my constant reviewer whom I love with all my heart and more!), Raelin-chan (Just plain out in every way, always making my day), and little-miss-inu (who completely made my day today!).

I love you all and my next chapter will be up soon! Thanks!


	44. Not My Hero

Chapter 42

Soft chirps clicked by the window and, despite the pane of cloudy and dew dripping glass between them, Inuyasha's ears twitched at the sound. He shifted his soaked body uncomfortably only to get the result of feeling how incredibly wet he was from the waist down. His soggy hakamas had soaked the sheets through and his lengthy hair had spread itself over the pillow, filling it with rainwater as well.

Shivers ran down his spine, making him realize how cold he really was. Goosebumps tickled on his damp arms and legs as he huddled closer to the nearest thing he could, pulling it tighter to his chest and bringing in his legs to dip his head in and bury it in some kind of wet, black velvet.

It took a few moments to realize the two, thick, moist strips of velvet that were pressing to his chest. Heated breaths blew onto his pale and dampened skin, snapping his eyes open to go wide, their thin black pupils narrowing in the light. Fingers curled over his side, medium length nails scraping his skin and making him tremble.

'No...way...How could I have not...How...' His thoughts were chopped. He couldn't even think right as his bare feet brushed over the smooth skin of a girl's leg. He trembled again and tried to pull back but the velvet lips that teased his chest were keeping him firmly in place.

'I didn't wake up...I didn't get out of her bed in time! How did we get like this? Why didn't I wake up when she even came within an inch from me?' He wondered, crazily trying to force his mind away from the tiny breaths and soft skin that pressed to his own. It was impossible to ignore.

Now. NOW! He had to get away from her and those tempting lips. He was supposed to be mad at her, she was supposed to be mad at him, they weren't supposed to holding each other like this. And he was about to lose it completely.

Inuyasha drew away, rather reluctantly, every inch of his body and heart telling him to stay and hold her close. His mind protested. His heart fought. But his mind won, as usual. He forced his trembling body away from hers, slipping his arms away from her waist and hair, his legs from hers, his nose from her hair though that scent lingered inside his nose.

Smoothness aside, the hanyou flopped right to the floor in his attempt to draw away. He lay, flat on his back, his hands running through his hair as he tried to figure it all out. Why he hadn't woken up. Why he had wrapped his arms around her without even realizing it. Why he had even slipped into the bed with her in the first place. It was all so insane how things were turning out, spinning out of hand and running rampant over their hearts.

"Inu...Inuyasha? Is that you down there?" The sound of Kagome's groggy, sleep-filled, voice sent the hanyou's ears on edge and flinging into a frantic flicking spree.

"K-Kagome!" He cried back, golden eyes following in the direction of his canine ears to stare up at Kagome's confused features. Her honey brown eyes barely cracked to stare down at him with an accusing tone. She knew. She knew.

Her eyes trickled down from his eyes and stopped at his lips, studying the tempting feature that had almost touched her own lips. Those eyes didn't stay for long. Slowly, they wandered down his pale, slender, neck and traveled down his shapely arms, memorizing each dip and hill, each shadow and muscle, before her eyes moved back up and across his shoulder. Dangerously, her eyes moved down to his chest where they locked and widened in awe.

A patch of gold caught her eye and snapped it to the spot in a widened glance. She examined the trinket, her vision wavering crazily from sleep. Despite how sleepy she was, she stared in shock and pleasant surprise at the golden heart locket that rest against his shaped chest, beautifully blending with the creamy color of Inuyasha's pale skin.

Silently and carefully, the hanyou tugged the corners of his yukata over his bare chest, aside the fact that he could have just as easily blurted out a dry comment, accusing her of being some kind of pervert. Grateful, though, Kagome blinked and pulled herself up to sit on the bed, her legs folded under her. How was it that he still had that necklace? Had he really held onto it for so long? Had he really been wearing it from time to time, all along? Right under her nose, right under those two folds of red and white, was the softest and sweetest side of Inuyasha that she had nearly never seen. It just didn't seem true. And that fuzz that surrounded the dazed girl's head as she thought deeper into the eye opening thoughts, plunged her into a state where everything was surreal.

The sound of Inuyasha's soothing yet dangerously firm voice shattered her thoughts in less than an instant, bringing her mind back to the surface as he spoke out: "We go back today. Forget school. Let's just go."

Kagome blinked several times before she could even think about forming words to answer him. It was just so odd, watching him sit himself up, the skin on his stomach rippling at the bend, and see him grasp the golden locket that rest around his neck. Still, the words didn't form, even after the hanyou had completely hidden the trinket and his bare chest from sight.

"N-Now?" Was all she could manage to choke out as the feeling of his strong arms tightened around her. She could remember so clearly how he curled around her, cradling her, and how she had just sank in comfortably without a care. Now there was so much tension between them that could never be severed.

"No. By saying 'we go back today' and 'let's go', I mean in ten years...yes, now!" He replied, scornfully and sarcastically as he snatched his red haori from her rolling chair to pull it over his yukata. Hurridly, as if that one fold of red fabric was the only thing hiding his bare body from sight, he tied it over his chest and reached for his Tessaiga. His fingertips brushed over the smooth sheath as a startling hand grasped his wrist, pulling a gasp from his throat and snapping his eyes to his holder.

"Kagome?" He questioned, staring into her eyes, her brows raised as she stared back at him. It was so weird touching her or even being near her at all anymore. Things were just so awkward now, so different now that they had tried to kiss each other on more than one occasion and failed, dramatically, each time.

'Kiss her. Kiss her.'

His mind was still screaming it. It took nearly all his weak morning strength to fight it down. After all, he just wanted to feel what it was like to kiss someone again. It had been ages since he had seen Kikyou, much less, dared to press his lips to hers. But it was so tempting when there was a perfectly...perfect girl right in front of him. Willing or not, was what he didn't know. And he respected Kagome far too much to do anything to her like that that she didn't like.

And there was no way of telling. All the miko did was stare, longingly, into those beautiful amber eyes. She loved those eyes, those ears, those everything. The shape of his lips, the size of his nose, the temperature of his body when it surrounded her. Everything. And now she was completely captivated by his eyes that the hanyou held his very soul in. Every emotion, every feeling or thought was swimming right there in those pools of melted gold. There were just so many emotions and everything else slipped in that it was hard to tell how he really felt.

"What do you want?" He asked, harshly, snapping her attention back and pulling her distance eyes back to their attentive stare.

"I...forget it. Nevermind." She said, her fingers loosening and slipping from around the inu half demon's wrist. On her way to drop her hand down to her side, she felt callused fingers wrap around her own wrist and catch her arm before it could reach the safety of her side.

"Yeah right. Now you've got me curious. Spit it out." He ordered, his tight to firm and tight though his razor blade nails never seared into her milky paper skin even once. He wouldn't let go, and Kagome could see that determination in his soulful eyes. He wouldn't let go until he got an answer out of her.

"I really...really...really really want to go to the store to get some supplies before we go back. That's it." She said, thinking about adding a few more 'really's to it, but decided against it and ended it there. She just kept getting stopped every time she started to go to the grocery store. What did the people have against her going to the store? As if that really was her real question.

"If you wanted to go that bad, why'd you wait to tell me?" Inuyasha asked, raising a brow, the other curling inward to give her a strange look as if he truly thought she was stupid or something. It kind of snapped her back to reality. He was still the same Inuyasha. The same arrogant, confident, hard headed, bold, sarcastic, stubborn, hanyou she knew.

"I don't know...it just...I don't know!" She sputtered, her arm dropping suddenly to her side as Inuyasha let go of her wrist. She could feel a cold ring of sweat around where he had held. Was she really that nervous that a drop of cold sweat could form any place his fingers touched?

"Well, get a move on it. Every second we wait, every day we've waited, that bastard of an incarnation it getting another step closer to ruining everything." He retorted, snatching up the black sheath that his precious father's fang rest in. His golden gaze flickered back to her before narrowing questioningly.

"I won't be long." Kagome stated quickly before she shot to the doorway and raced down the stairs. Inuyasha stood, listened, waited with a brow raised until the miko came rushing back up the stairs and into her room, pulling modestly at the hem of her lone pajama shirt. Silently, she hopped onto the bed to throw open her dresser, rummage for her school uniform, and rush back down the stairs.

------

Horns honked constantly as the line of cars struggled to get moving again. Some shifted around each other, only to get blocked off in an odd angle. Kagome was glad she hadn't taken Inuyasha along. All those rapid moving and noisy cars would certainly drive him insane. Still on her mind, she noticed. She was thinking about him yet again. Never did her mind rest off of the sight of his bright amber eyes and silver hair. He stuck out from the rest of the people that spun in her mind. He took up the biggest space in her suitcase heart when, already, so many people were packed inside.

The miko skipped along the streets, curving around motionless cars to get to the other side of the street. So much for looking both ways. There were cars every which way. Morning traffic, all the regular Japan residents on their way to school and work. The place she wouldn't be going to day. Such a big change from the peaceful mornings in the warring era.

Her mind was fuzzy as she tested to see if she could think about anything or anyone OTHER than Inuyasha and his realm. So clouded and fuzzy that she didn't realize the warning screech of a honking horn and the squeal of tires across the road.

"Kagome!'

Her eyes flashed and widened as the sounds and the call of her name. Who's voice was that? Who was running towards her? She tried to move but her feet felt like they had melted into the road, holding her in place as the honking and squealing brakes grew louder and nearer.

Her arms flung out to catch the softness of human skin and arms slipped around her in a comforting embrace. Her last feel of closeness to another, the last touch of skin and warmness before she became a puddle on the road.

Screech. Honk. Breath. "Kagome?"

"W-What?" She blinked, her breathing quickened and rapid as she struggled to pull in breaths she had sworn had been stolen from her throat long ago. This time, she had sworn she would die. Last time, Inuyasha had been there to wrap his arms around there and hold her close, bury his face in her hand and tell her how scared he had been. He hadn't been around this time, had he? He was fast, she knew, but not THAT fast. He didn't care THAT much, did he?

Her eyes raised, her vision shaking as she huddled close to her rescuer, his arms wrapped around her waist to hold her in a light embrace. She felt cold, like she wasn't safe just yet as her eyes raised to a pair of concerned brown eyes that looked down on her.

"H-Houjo?"

..:---.-..-.-.-.--:..

HAH! -points- It's finally up. What a bother...it took so long and it was quite boring...this chapter. 'Cept for the beginning and end. Those two were...'ahhhhh'...'oooohh'...yeah.

Yup. Well. Next chapter will be better. I AM modest...if you haven't realized that already.

And, don't worry, that one bad review didn't hurt my feelings. Everyone gets one once in awhile. I'm just glad you guys are loving it so far...just don't eat my head for the upcoming parts.

AHHH!...By the way, Raelin-Chan, that was supposed to be 'Plain out great in every way'. Plain out in every way...hmm...sounds more like at insult! Ah! Don't eat me! Oo'

Alright. I know I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter...this one is supposed to be real cool-like. So! It's up! Now time to sit back and wait for the lovely peoples to tell me what they think...and then off to the next- OW!...Stubbed my toe...and then off to the next chapter!

See ya for now!


	45. It Kills Him Inside

Chapter 43

"Stupid. You could have gotten yourself killed! You're so clumsy!"

"W-What?" Kagome blinked at the boy's concerned and kind face. His voice and words didn't match his kindly and handsome face. That sounded like something Inuyasha would say. Hojou would never say anything like that. He had even said it in Inuyasha's voice. What was going on?

"I said you should be more careful, Kagome. That bus nearly hit you!" He said, his voice so low and kind, soothing to the ears that seemed to have heard honking horns endlessly ringing through her eardrums. But all she did was nod in reply. She knew it. Hojou would never say something like that. Her mind was still stuck on the hanyou she had left back home. He wasn't here. Kind, polite, soothing Hojou was her rescuer this time around.

"Are you alright?" Hojou asked, his arms holding her closely against him. But, Kagome couldn't reply. She trembled, the words stolen from her throat as she clung, dearly, to the front of Hojou's shirt. Her legs shook, wobbling, her fists clenching tighter onto the boy's school uniform. He must have been just heading off to school.

"Well...Did you get my letter?" He asked, pulling her closer and farther away from the beeping and flashing cars and skidding tires. Kagome couldn't have said a word if she tried as she was pulled closer onto the boy that had barely slipped past a beating from Inuyasha.

"Y-Yes..." She stammered, trying her desperate best not to fall flat on her face. Couldn't Hojou hold her more securely? At least until her feet sturdied themselves or hold her in a less awkward position? "Do...you...really think I'm the girl of your dreams." More words. Yes. Good. Her vision was blacking out. It was just such a shock. To think, if Hojou hadn't been passing by, she would have been on the underside of a bus tire. Or would she?

----

He stared, eyes narrowed and fists clenched. So sick and tired of the same scene over and over again. When would it end? When would one of them win the everlasting fight for the girl's attention, her affection, her love? It never ended, and he was on the verge of giving it up.

'I was almost there! If he would have just backed off, she wouldn't be with him like that! She'd be with me...in MY arms...This is so stupid.' He thought. The blue hat over his ears felt loose, like it would blow off at any moment and be carried away by the wind, by the angry screams of the man who's car he stood atop.

"Hey! Hey! You hear me? Choudai ofu! Get off!" He screamed, his voice hardly even reaching Inuyasha's tuned out ears. He didn't care a lick, and that was clear how he just knelt there, a fist propping him up as he glared, menacingly, at the sight a few lines of traffic away. His fist raised to rush down again, slamming into the hood of the shining and obviously much-loved car, leaving a clear dent where his furious fist had punched.

"Baba!" The man cried out, his hands in his hair as he struggled to yell the hanyou off the top of his precious car. It was no use. Inuyasha wouldn't move, his eyes narrowed and those daring amber irises dripping with menace.

----

"Of course, Kagome...Isn't it obvious?" Hojou replied, his arms slipping around her in an embrace that should have been warm and firm, but the opposite to Kagome. So different.

She wished he would stop saying her name. She wished he would hold her closer, that, or let her go. Let her go and let her return to Inuyasha. Forget about the store, forget about school, forget about everything and run to the feudal era. Run for a place that she called home more, now, than her own house here. But she couldn't get away when he held her so tightly. So tightly, but at the same time, she felt like she was falling. She felt as though his arms couldn't hold her close, protectively, lovingly, like Inuyasha's could. She felt like he was a ghost and his arms were an illusion and so very cold no matter how tightly he attempted to hold her.

"Everything I said in that letter was the truth." He assured her, his hand slipping up her sides to cup her chin and lift her eyes to his. He smiled down to her, trying to pull one to her own lips. If only he knew.

And this was the boy that Kagome was destined to marry. Hojou. If she had never fallen through that well, never met Inuyasha or her closest friends. If she had never gone back in time, she would still be living a normal girl's life. How boring, it seemed now. But it would be what it was, and, to think, she would be in Hojou's arms like this all the time. She had read the scrolls over a thousand times, her eyes working for some slip up in the words that told her that some 'Kagome' had married a 'Hojou' back in time.

It was so weird, thinking that she was supposed to be with him, then and now. Forever. And maybe her taste in boys would have changed without Inuyasha. Maybe she wouldn't have that certain taste for the bad boys, her complete opposites. And, of course, she would have fallen for the hanyou who stood nearby. She knew, no doubt, that he was watching her from behind. And she knew that it was killing him inside.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Kagome."

'My name! Stop saying my name!'

"You make me happy."

'No! No I don't! You can find someone else! Can't you see that I'M not happy?'

"I'd jump at the chance to ever be with you, Kagome."

'Where have I heard that before?'

"And I know, I trust, that you will find the boy of your dreams. And I know he'll love you forever. They'd be crazy not to."

'I know...Hojou, I know! But it's not you! It's not you...I'm so sorry...but...'

----

'It's clear how she loves him. That letter, how she won't let go of him! Damn. I just want her to be happy. And if it's with him...' Inuyasha thought. He couldn't help but think it, as much as it really hurt him inside. But that was what confused him. Why. Why did he care if she was in love with someone? If that someone wasn't him? A stupid jealously that not even he could decipher.

And just as he thought all was settled, that Hojou had won and he had lost for once in his life, just as he slipped off the top of the fuming man's car, his eyes raised and widened as a harsh blow smacked into his side. It took a moment to realize those long, pale, arms that wrapped firmly around his waist and that tear streaked face crushing into his chest.

His arms shot out to take the sobbing girl by the shoulders, his eyes flashing from the top of her raven colored head to the lone boy who stood in the distance. He struggled to push her away, shake her off before he caved in. It was always too late. By that thought, his arms had already taken control and fallen around her waist to pull her tight, his shoulders tight and hunched as he dipped his cheek to press to hers.

"What'd he do? Dammit! What the hell did he say to you! I'll kill 'im. I swear I will!" He defended, his arms tight around her trembling body. He didn't let her fall though her knees buckled, trusting him to hold her up. It was as if she knew he wouldn't let her tumble to the ground.

And she did know. She felt safe, secured, cared for in his warm and muscular arms. His harsh words and accusations didn't bother her. His threats, to her or to Hojou, didn't mean a thing. She knew what he meant and only a sliver of what he felt. She had come to realize that 'You clumsy fool.' meant 'I was so worried about you'. Or that 'You're stupid.' meant 'Stop! You're about to make me laugh!'. She knew.

"No, don't. He didn't say anything. Nothing, Inuyasha...nothing at all."

..:--.--..-.-.---:..

Ah, the sweetness. Ooh la la. Fluff is good, huh? You guys are gonna love me later on...though I'd probably have lost my head by that time. SORRRYYYYY! I'll say it ahead of time. You'll see. Don't ask.

Geeez! All those typos! I tried to fish a few out of this chapter...and yes that 'always' was supposed to be there. As in, he was always going to just cave in by the time it was up.

I've even gotten a few fluffy pics that go along with the story. It'd ruin the future parts...which I dun wanna do...but I'll try to sneak in a few pics at the end of that chapter. MINUS THE WEDDING RING...just saying...for a future pic. And plus some clothes on Kagome...no...Inuyasha can stay like that... -grin-. Smexy beast, I'm telling you.

So, thanks again for the great reviews. I love you all. Yes, Yes. And tune in next time!


	46. Home again, Home again

Chapter 44

It had been but a few hours and, already, the evidence of daylight was starting to shed and give way to the first signs of nightfall that nipped at the tops of the two youth's heads. It had taken more than a moment for them to gather all they could find and tunnel back through that time traveling well. Now, with Kagome perched on Inuyasha's back, her face lowered to his silvery locks, they embarked on the short journey home.

The dark outlines of towering trees passed at a slow pace. There wasn't a need to pick up speed and move along. They seemed to have all the time in the world to wait for Sanraku's return. It didn't even creep up on them, weighing them down with fear no matter how strong the detachment had proved himself to be. Everything was at ease as Kagome dared to lift her face to the clear and starry sky above.

"Inuyasha?...What would you compare me to?" She asked, her brown eyes pasted above her at the star splashed heavens. Each little blinking light sparkled as a reflection in her glassy eyes. She searched for one, one in particular as she awaited the hanyou's retortion.

"What are you talking about?" He spat, his voice low and irritated as he moved between a pair of close growing trees. Their branches stretched downwards to snatch at those pretty little dog ears and charcoal strands of hair.

"Anything. Like...the grass or something. Anything at all."

"I don't get it."

"Geez...It's just a game, Inuyasha."

"Fine, fine." He gave, shifting his golden eyes about the dark forest for anything to name after her. But how? Everything looked like her. The shadows held the silky softness and color of her hair. The stars held her eyes. The gentle hum of the night birds and bugs held the essence her soft voice. But to pick just one thing was so hard.

"The clouds." He said, waiting for a moment to let the reasons float to him. "Because...the both of you are light as a feather." He reasoned, shifting her comfortably on his back with such ease. But that one reason didn't satisfy either of them. All he had to do was sit back and wait for more to pop into his head.

Meanwhile, that gleeful smile never left the miko's lips. She just couldn't hold back the sweet giggles that forced their way out. It was so cute, seeing him struggle to say something nice when, really, it came with ease.

"You've always got your head up in the sky, in the clouds. And...you hold back tears as long as you can until you get so full of rain...that you just burst. And when that happens, when you get so full of it, damn do you rain...cry..." He said, each word so well thought out. "and...heh. Because clouds don't have brains." He added, immaturely.

In reply, Kagome sighed heavily, her smile fading and quick as it had come. Was it really that hard to say one nice thing to her without something horrible following. Couldn't he just hold her, hug her, tell her that he wanted her to be happy right to her face? It was sad how she doubted it so much now.

"Well...I think you're like the sun." She said, her eyes lighting up as they raised to the sky again. The sun wasn't out at night. She knew that, but it didn't alter her decision of what he was to her. He was her sun and she was his cloud. It hurt, when she thought about it. There were so many other clouds, so many others to pick from when he was her one and only. There was only one sun on Earth.

"Warm...for one." She whispered into his ear, her arms making their way tighter around his shoulders and neck. "And golden, like your eyes. It holds it's very soul, it's everything and reason for being right on the surface. Fire. To warm us. And...no one has ever set foot there. No one has ever been able to walk all over you. They were always burned up by the heat before they could even get near." She added, but she wasn't done. So many more reasons for her choice bloomed in her mind.

"If you look at it for too long...your eyes start to sting and water. And, most of all...beacuse the clouds are always close to it." She drooped only slighty at her own words. 'Almost always close to it.' She added in her mind as she buried her face in his silken silver tresses.

No more words were uttered as they slowly came upon that familiar hut silhouetted in the distance. Only a simple stroke of Inuyasha's thumbs across the smooth skin of Kagome's calf and the guilty frown that played over his full lips. How horrible he felt for saying something that was hardly true to him at all while the miko freely told him sweet everythings without a tinge of sarcasim or unkindness. Did he truly have no heart? He had to question himself at times.

The hut lingered in the distance, though they never seemed to get any closer. Inuyasha almost let the crazy thought that they would never get there unless he had confessed how guilty and sorry he was to Kagome. Crazy. He knew, so he just continued on, holding the silent miko over his back without a simple word or touch left that he could express to show how he really, really wished he could turn back time.

---

"Kagome!" Shippo's high pitched voice spurted into the air along with his little body as he leapt up to tackle Inuyasha's shoulder. He scampered around the hanyou's neck as he struggled to fight the urge to swat the fox youkai off of him. The kitsune clasped his arms around Kagome's neck and hugged her dearly like a little boy would to his mother who had come back from a grocery store with a delicious lolly pop.

"It's good to see you too, Shippo." The miko said, a short giggle loosening up the hanyou's knitted in brows as he lowered her to the unfurnished hut floor. Keeping his forever constant vow of silence, he swept over to plop down on the floor next to their three other companions, giving off smiles towards their newly returned friends.

"Good to have you back, Kagome!" Miroku exclaimed, a soft hand swiping over the slayer's hand. She gently shot him a warning look. If it was even possible anymore, the monk and slayer would try to preserve the secret of their love just as long as they could. That meant no kissing, no loving words, no touching. An impossible attempt.

"You too, Inuyasha." Sango dared to add with a smile towards the dangerously down hanyou, grumbling against the wall with his head dipped low and his arms crossed over his chest, using that ever attractive boyish charm of his.

"It's great to be back!" Kagome cried with a wide smile to hide the disappointment that still lay just under the surface. They didn't know, though. How could they have known all that Inuyasha had attempted, that they had done while on their mini vacation away from the dangers of the feudal realm? That's right. They couldn't, shouldn't, and probably would never know how Inuyasha had tried to kiss her time and time again with nothing but failure. How an unseen romance had acted up when least expected.

"But I'm pooped! It's late. I'm just gonna go to bed." She added, raising a delicate hand to ruffle the rust colored locks of Shippo's hair before he hopped off to huddle close at her heels.

"That makes the two of us." The slayer piped up, a gleeful smile on her lips as she jumped up to move to her personal crimson sleeping bag. She dropped down on it, waiting as Kirara mewed softly and clicked after her to revert to her youkai form in a burst of flame. She settled herself to let her longtime friend's head rest against her side as she nuzzled her face into her black striped paws.

Kagome followed, slipping deep into the silken folds of her comfortable sleeping bag without even having to think about it. A few simple goodnights were uttered as Miroku snuggled against the other side of Kirara and Inuyasha remained leaning against the wall, his eyes clamped closed without a word. How mysteriously, he had swiveled back to his old, distant, grumpy ways from the playful hanyou he had been just moments ago. Kagome chose not to dig deeper right now. It was sleep time, and there was plenty of time tomorrow, right?

She had to admitt, it was relaxing to be back in this era, as dangerous as it was. No more school or love rivals. Just her, her best friends, pet, foster son, and...Inuyasha.

..:--.-.-.-.--.---:..

Hey, Hey, Hey there!

I know, this one was a bit plain...just billowing down to get you all randomly shocked for the next chapter! WOOT! And this is where you'll all kill me...

C'mon! You people are lacking on me! Don't tell me I'm really going down the drains? Am I just too fast or something? Someone actually took me off their favorites list! Oo! Gah!

Okay. I'll be sure to get another good one up to lure you back in. And remember to reccemend this story to friends! I've been seeing alot of 'post some good fanfics you've found' boards! I've put up a few of the goods ones...can never find those dang boards again, but I did!

So...Aloha!


	47. The Day When It All Falls Into Line

Chapter 45

"Today...is the the day. The night when it all falls. It's the full moon, Inuyasha, when your power is at it's peek. Anything could set you off...and your lust, your love and longing for her will be just the thing. She holds the key to your destruction and you don't even realize it...how amusing..."

---

It was so hard now. Everything was harder. Harder to sense if Sanraku was near. Harder to sense any more shards. Harder not to cry. Harder not to break down and collapse into each other's arms like they could when they were away from the other two. It was more frustrating than anything. There was some kind of tension building up between them so that they distanced themselves when they wanted to be together the most. Perhaps it was because they knew nothing good would come of it. They knew what they felt was getting too much to hold back when they were within a mile of each other. Each and every one of them was forced to hide their hearts.

Maybe a nice walk would shake it off. Kagome could only hope as she tumbled to her wobbly feet, shaken from her light daydream those white canine ears had invaded. She cast her weary brown eyes to the dying embers of the weak fire built in the middle of the silent hut. Silent. Deadly silent. That wasn't like the inu tachi group to be so boring.

A sharp slap let out as Kagome clapped her hands together with a forced smile. "Hey! What's everyone so glum about? I'll go get some firewood and then we'll start to have some REAL fun while we still have the chance!" Eyes flickered to her bright features, staring and waiting for another word or two before Sango dared to speak into the silence that had fallen.

"That actually sounds like a good idea! Why do Miroku and I stay back and cook up something to eat. Kaede's out with the villagers so this should give us a good chance to chock up on our cooking skills." The slayer piped up, joining into Kagome desperate attempt to curl lips all around the hut.

Only a few gave in. Miroku and Shippo as they took action to put aside the grey day that dwelled inside of them. Whereas, Inuyasha's fingers tapped wildly over the red fabric that concealed his knee, fighting the urge to jump up and pace the room. His amber eyes substituted for the crave, flitting back and forth across the length of the room. Each word the miko spoke, every step or movement she took, made his heart skip a beat, pound, and made his back as tight as a bowstring.

"She's right! Kagome's back and it looks like she brought the sun with her!" Miroku added with a sly smile as he slipped behind Sango, that same dirty sparkle in his eye. The slayer inched away despite the urge to simply move closer. They all had to fight it now.

Inuyasha froze, his heart hammering furiously against his chest.

'He doesn't know. There's no way he could know what she had said! What the hell is wrong with me? I can't even look at her without losing my breath completely!' He thought, his eyes narrowing at the girl as if it was her fault completely, that she was causing every bit of his silent torture. But his eyes softened in an instant. It was so hard to be mad at her. How could he, when she had done nothing but try to love him, or try to show something that Inuyasha really just couldn't understand.

'What the hell is wrong with me...' His mind repeated, scolding him endlessly for simply feeling something he truly had no control over. His head dropped back to rest against the wall as he stuffed his arms into the large sleeves of his haori. It was a weird feeling that he couldn't understand, much less, control. It was like a large ball of fire in the pit of his stomach, inching down to his loins, and only one thing could ease it. Her.

What did he have to do? He wondered and pondered and glared ahead, searching for the answer somewhere on the miko's body, and he felt pushed to find it before she caught his eyes searching up and down the length of her form. Though, it wasn't long until she was ripped from his sight as she darted out of the hut, leaving the bamboo weaving flapping helplessly behind to sweep away his needs.

---

The crisp branches flung themselves out at the miko, try as it would to dampen her peppy mood, nothing scratched the surface. His face kept on that smile, his smile made her smile. Even if he was back in that hut, grumbling endlessly against the wall with a frown, the smiles of times before crawled into her mind.

Her pale hands darted down to snatch fallen sticks, lumps of dried wood, and dead leaves to dump as a pile in her frail arms. She weaved around trees, the sudden dark and denseness of the forest not yet prying it's way into the happy go lucky girl's mind. But what could? What could finally throw a soggy blanket over that ball of sunshine in her smile, her eyes, her feet that helped her prance along the dark forest floor?

A sharp snap rang several times after through the emptiness of the dark forest and several times after that in Kagome's alert ears. A cold sensation rushed through her, from her head to her toes, tingling along it's trail. Her smile dropped dead from her lips, her widened chocolate eyes flitting wildly around the darkness. Her dream shot into mind and fear held grasp over her throat.

She shook wildly, the dry and cracking sticks she had gathered were gripped roughly in her arms, though forgotten as her eyes continued to flit around. Her legs trembled wildly though she was standing still. It was like they were urging her to run, run, run and never look back to see her pursuer.

'It was just a snap. A raccoon. A bear? No. Just a squirrel, right. Why should I be so scared?'

The cold tingling flooded out of her body, her legs slowly steadying as she turned in a short circle to glance around her. Everything was so dark, so eerie. She could barely see two feet in front of her. The air was cold, frigid, almost, with it's icy claws around her neck. She swore she could see her breath in the pitch black ahead of her.

Her weary brown eyes searched ahead of her, weaving around trees that seemed to lurch themselves down to her now. Nothing, nothing. There was nothing there! But she wouldn't rest until she heard complete silence, until she was sure she was alone. So she searched, small, cautious, breathes leaving her throat.

_Black, black, black, trees, bush, black, tree, black. Breath. SNAP!_

A quick whimper stole from Kagome's throat before she could stop it. It wasn't long before her body began to tremble with the sudden cold of fear and panic. Her eyes swam around, drowning in the darkness. Her lips trembled, her eyes watered, her feet stumbled over nothing but air as her eyes helplessly, hopelessly, searched for a light or a way out of the horror she felt for something she couldn't see.

A sharp, horrified scream pierced the blanket of darkness as stick after stick after leaf and log crashed to the dead grass below. A loud, clear, sob pushed through as Kagome's hands flung out to clasp over her mouth to stifle in the screams. Her knees nearly buckled, the only thing that still kept her standing on shaky legs.

And there the follower stood, eyes narrowed and dark, daring the girl to take another step. Their body was nearly completely concealed in the pitch black of the shady trees. It was hard to make out the features that made up the semi stalker's face, but Kagome could tell. She knew exactly who had been following her, watching her carefully in a whistling silence.

"Kikyou?"

..:--.-..-.--..--.-.:..

Yes, I know. Another 'OMG! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S ACTUALLY THAT PERSON WITH THE ENDING CLIFFY OF A PERSON SAYING THE OTHER SURPRISE PERSON'S NAME' ending.

Sorry. I know, I know. It's bad. BUT I LOVE YOU PEOPLE! You all are so sweet! I saw your page, little-miss-inu, and I will love you forever because of it...I really will.

Thank you all, you've really been a huge and great inspiration and I hope you liked this chapter and continue to like the remainder of my story. I just can't believe it's nearly over! Well...for me...or, to me...because I'm the one writing it, so I'm sure it seems shorter...cuz I know what's s'posed to happen and whatnot.

Check out my page for some new pics, btw!

Anyway, before I start to ramble...I should go and get on with the next chapter...heh...you'll go crazy for this one. Bring tissues!


	48. I Can't Save Him

Chapter 46

"Kagome." Kikyou breathed her name in return, her eyes setting in a menacing glare that made Kagome stutter on her next words the pushed through her trembling lips.

"K-Kikyou, what are you doing here? You...scared me..." She murmured, her eyes shining in the darkness as she watched the silent miko hide among the safe darkness of the trees. Her trembling hand sank down from her lush lips to quake on their own in the fear that clung tight to her body like soaked clothes on a rainy day.

'Why? Why would she be hiding from me? Watching me? Doesn't she know I have nothing against her?' Kagome wondered, her eyes searching for the deceased priestess she knew was swallowed by the dark. It was no use, until the mysterious miko took a small step forward, her white, slithering youkai swiping along her cheek, brightening a small spot on her stern features. Another slipped passed, adding another helplessly lost soul to the collection within the dead woman.

"Do you know what day it is?" Kikyou asked her confused and abruptly startled reincarnation. A horrific smile crawled over her perfectly placed lips at the frightened school girl's behalf. How scared she had become at the mere sight of her. It terrible to say that the priestess seemed pleased by the flicker of fear in the young girl's watery brown eyes.

"N-No. Yes. Monday...or Tuesday...or...I..." Kagome stopped, her heart hammering so hard she could feel and hear it like the silence that loomed over them both. She found it odd that she had really forgotten was day it was. Or, perhaps, the dead miko was talking about something else. It couldn't be that she knew future names of days. Impossible. Or was she just as sneaky as she had been just a moment ago, all the time?

Kikyou stepped forward, a slithering white demon swept passed to drop yet another glowing soul to settle in the miko's chest. Kagome watched with terror filled eyes as the soul became trapped within the deceased miko. Stealing souls. Was it really the only way to keep her alive? Was it really necessary for her to be alive anymore? What did she still long to do on this foresaken earth?

'No. That's right. How can I even think that.' Kagome scolded herself, blinking slowly as her chocolate brown eyes sank to the pile of sticks below. 'She's here...for Inuyasha. How could I forget how they still love each other. If she leaves, I know Inuyasha will be sad. So maybe it i is /i good that she's still around.'

She bent low, a hand moving down with her to gather a few cracked sticks back into her trembling arms. Her eyes moving, shakily, forward to meet the other miko's sandaled feet so close. A small gasp pulled forth from her lips to add to the tiny smile across the priestesses face. What could she possibly want?

"Stand up." She ordered, watching as the shaken school girl flinched at her words. Their eyes never met as Kagome abandoned the sticks for a second time. How she wished to be back at the hut now, huddling close to the dying fire in silence. Anything was better than this, her eyes shakily moving up to meet Kikyou's narrowed ones as she rose from the ground rather reluctantly.

"Who are you?" Kikyou demanded, her eyes searching the girl for a wisp of something she knew wasn't there. But, Kagome remained dead silent, forcing an annoyed hand forward to grasp around the young miko's chin and snatch her full attention, as if she hadn't had it before. She fed her own anger, her amusement on the soft tears that appeared at Kagome's reddened rims.

She closed her eyes, blinking rapidly to clear away the tears that forced their way up from behind her eyes. The priestesses dead cold touch frightened her, gave her shivers as well as horrible memories and random fantasies. Of who? Inuyasha. They were linked, and with her touch, she felt him. She could feel his rough hands all over her, running up her back beneath the safety of her shirt. All the way up to the back of her neck, those warm hands, before they trailed down, nails dragging over her sensitive skin.

Kagome trembled even harder, feeling those hands draw blood that wasn't there. They felt so real, just like his actual hands as they curved around her waist to drag deadly nails across her stomach. Her eyes flashed downward at nothing. Nothing but the white blouse that covered her shaking body. He wasn't touching her, he wasn't near at all. Only Kikyou, with her hand that had long dropped from the delirious miko's face.

"Look at you. Everyone says I'm you, you're me, but you are nothing like me. Weak. Perky. Happy all the time. Expressive. You're not me at all. Who….are you?" Kikyou demanded of the girl again, her feet moving slowly to pace an uncomfortably tight circle around Kagome. She eyed the girl disgustingly, as if the girl before her hadn't saved her so many times before. A friend. They were supposed be on the same side, not jealous rivals in love, or in something else unseen to the human eye.

Kagome could hardly take it anymore. It felt like the world was spinning around her, spinning in a circle like Kikyou spun slowly around her. She was so close that she could smell the thick scent of soil on her clay skin invading her slightly wrinkled nose.

"I'm just the stupid girl in love with a fool…who's still in love with you." She finally replied, her eyes narrowing, struggling against the tears that were determined to be set free. She held them back as best she could. She just couldn't cry. Not in front of Kikyou. If she knew how much it hurt her, who knew what she would do. That smile would only grow wider until it consumed them all.

"Is that so?" Kikyou snorted, her feet settling in the ankle high grass to stare, eagerly at the girl. She could tell her heart was breaking right in front of her and now her feet were crunching over the broken pieces without a care.

"You hold his heart in the palm of your hand…but you don't even love him." Kagome said, slipping a daring step forward. Her eyes wouldn't calm, those fiery tears stabbing like icicles into Kikyou's slightly lighter brown eyes. She was right. They were nothing alike. They didn't have the same hair, the same eyes, the same anything. How did people think they were like twins when they were so different?

"You know nothing." Kikyou retorted sharply. She shot daggers back at the miko with deadly brown eyes. Hazel eyes. Eyes that Kagome had always wished to have other than her own. So dark and plain, while hers were fiery and bright. Again, she felt that deep jealousy that always crept up from the pit of her stomach when she heard of or got around the deceased priestess.

"I know _him_ ." Kagome spat back, returning Kikyou's sharpness and sudden anger. It wasn't right, all that she said. It wasn't right, how they stood there, argueing about something neither of them dared to admit. There was a secret hate that had been built up over the years and now she could see it clearly.

"You can't save him." Kikyou suddenly put out, her eyes narrowed seriously and menacingly at the girl who started to back down right in front of her at her words. It was something about her tone and words that scared her to the bone. Froze her, and gave her a nervous bleeding in her brain. And it hurt. She wanted to know that she could save him, from everything, from whatever this ex lover of a hanyou she had left behind at the hut was talking about. She wanted to crawl back into his arms, feel his warm, just to let her know that he didn't need saving.

A second later, darkness had engulfed her again, leaving her in standing in such a heavy silence that gave her a headache. It was no use waiting for the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach to subside. She knew the miko had gone, her brightening youkai following, leaving her in complete and utter darkness. And it scared her. She was so scared that it scared her even more to think about it. She was scared, confused, sad, and mad.

"...I _CAN_ SAVE HIM! I CAN!" She suddenly screamed, dropping down again in the cold grass, the weak sticks cracking underneath her knees, stabbing at her paper skinned legs. Her hands moved up to cover her tear leaking eyes. She hated it, but struggled not to hate her. She hated how the deceased miko made her feel, but she tried so hard not to hate her even though every time she came around, horrible words echoed in her ears. 'Crazy. Ugly. Worthless.'

Kagome hurriedly gathered the firewood back into her trembling arms, wondering so desperatly why Kikyou had said such things. Hadn't she saved the dead woman's life so many times before? Was this her sick and twisted way of repaying her? Would she rather have died? Or was it just her; just Kagome?

She slipped through the forest, tears dripping from her curled lashes and down her cheeks where they silently dried in shining streaks, evidence of her sorrow. She wanted to get back to the hut and thrust herself back into Inuyasha's arms. HE wouldn't leave her. HE wouldn't say such evil things or touch her roughly. HE would comfort her.

Rushing past trees and into the open light once more, the thought stuck. She relied on the slim hope that he would just lie there with her and hold her as if his life depended on it. And if it were only in vain, the tears would surely come falling as a waterfall again.

Kagome sighed heavily, letting the warm rays of sunshine rain down on her, wiping away her tears with it's bright and fiery fingers. She couldn't wait another second before she darted through the bamboo weaving to be greeted with the first pleasant sight of the day.

They all sat, gathered around the weakening fire, each one possessing a content smile on their lips, left afterwards from a pleasant laugh. Even Inuyasha sat against the wall, a small grin over his lush and tempting lips that Kagome couldn't help but stare at. It was so good to see him smiling again, and it lifted a grin to her own features. Maybe Kikyou was just jealous. Maybe it was just a random, freak moment. It didn't mean a thing, and the upturned corners of the hanyou's lips sealed the deal of her thought with a golden stamp.

But it was only a moment afterward when smiles were turned towards her and eyes glittered with happy excitement that Inuyasha's nostrils flared. Slowly, like a clay figure melting in the hot sun, the pleased smile over his mouth slipped away, his eyes growing wide with something Kagome knew she didn't want to understand. He had smelled her tears, he could see them on her face, and she wanted to believe that was what he had jumped up for. She wanted to believe he was running towards her, but the wisp of cold air as he passed sent her hopes hurtling down to the dark depths of our cruel earth again.

The sticks crashed to the hardwood floor, abandoned again as a thin stream of tears rolled down her red cheeks. She knew exactly where he was going. The one place she really couldn't save him.

..:--.--..--.-.-.-:..

DUM DUM DUM! Here it is, with the horribly sad ending and such. Told you, you guys were totally going to kill me! It gets worse.

So...I DREW A PITCHAAAAA...(I drew a picture)...It perdy...I don't have a scanner though...and OH, HEY! Someone drew a perdiful picture for me, of my fic! Here...I'll see if it'll let me put the linkie up here...

That work? Hmmm...no...it probably screwed everything up. Ah, well. It's by Tenseiga-Chan, my luffly rping buddy. I'll get it up sometime...

So, next chapter coming, hope you semi liked this one...aaaand...more reviews, drawings, suggestions, critics...umm...yeah-bye...


	49. A Heartbreaking Secret

Chapter 47

She couldn't believe it, yet she could, as her hands raised to frantically wipe away her fallen tears. She had wanted HIM to wipe them away, but it was only her standing there, trembling fingers moving over her rosy cheeks in an attempt to hide them from the others. It was too late, her short but load sob had echoed through the air, giving off the sore thumb scene of her tears.

"K-Kagome! What happened?" Sango asked, shooting up from her kneeling position by the fire like a shooting star to dart to her side. She set a soft hand on her miko friend's shoulder, Shippo instantly hopping onto the other to swipe away a tear with a caring finger. Miroku soon joined at her back, stroking her skin beneath the rumpled white blouse with that cursed hand of his. Kirara mewed softly, twin tails flicking as she trotted to rub her black striped head on the miko's shin.

"Kagome? Are you alright? Why are you crying?" The kitsune questioned, snuggling his face against hers, his rust colored bangs tickling her damp cheeks but not lifting her an inch off the dirty ground her heart had been dropped, carelessly, to.

She couldn't speak a single word through her tears, only turn, abruptly, to the bamboo flap that was left swinging shut after the hanyou's departure. She had to know for sure, to mend or break what was left of her heart. All those different times, watching them hug and kiss and speak so sweetly in a way Kagome had never experienced with the cold and distant half-demon boy.

Shaking the comforting hands from her body and the gentle words from her ears and mind, she flew out from the hut with the smoke trailing from the hand built chimney. She raced across the dew covered grass, feeling four pairs of wide eyes on her back as she ran, ran, and ran some more. And she wouldn't stop until she hit the forest, hovering trees casts dark shadows of her tearstained features. She wouldn't stop until she had been completely enveloped in the darkness of the forest that matched her mood.

She ran, padding wildly over the grass, until soft voices hit her ears. She stopped, feet sliding slightly in the wet terrain. Her head ached, but she didn't close her eyes for a moment as she listened with unwilling ears that listened against heart's will. Those teary brown eyes searched the darkness, hands moving along the rough trunk of a tree, hiding her in it's looming branches. A sanctuary to shroud her in safety as her eyes set upon that sacred tree and the boy who stood at the foot of it.

"Kikyou." He whispered her name under his breath, gazing upward with trembling irises that seemed to glitter in the dark. And there she was, the woman who went by the name uttered in a lustful voice. She sat, perched on a high branch that would willingly hold her weight as she stared downward, returning the sparkle in the boy's eye.

A pale hand outstretched by the miko, Inuyasha raised his own hand as he scaled the side of the tree, eagerly moving his own rough hand onto her silken soil one. Kagome watched enviously as Kikyou pulled him upward to meet eye to eye. Brown against amber. Just like Kagome and him, just how the modern girl wanted it to be. The sight of the boy she so desired, crawling close, his eyes moving up and down her body.

'Why does he look at her like that, and not to me?' Kagome wondered, pure envy burning in her eyes. Unknown tears danced down her cheeks without her even realizing it, but she continued to watch in a near horror as the hanyou moved even closer, his lips parting to speak.

"What are you doing here? Your scent...it was on Kagome. What did you do to her?" He questioned, eyes narrowing at her. For split second of hope, the girl believed that he was defending her, mad at Kikyou for touching his precious Kagome. But that was before her eyes lowered to catch their twined hands. Since when was Kikyou ever loving toward Inuyasha? At least after all that had happened between them.

"It doesn't matter why I'm here, she is still alive...isn't she?" Kikyou whispered back, her voice so seducing that it made Kagome literally tremble with disgust. Surely she wouldn't try to drag him down to Hell again. Not after she had failed the first time. She tried to push the thought away, but it leaked in as she curved further around the tree to watch them closely.

She felt nosey, horrible in every single way for spying on them, but she was hooked. Each word they said made her realize more and more, but also broke her heart into several unmendable pieces.

"Yes. She is...Kikyou...I…" Inuyasha never finished what he had started out to say. He just stared, his eyes trailing down to her abdomin and then back into her suddenly narrowed eyes. They matched Kagome's, how she trembled behind the tree with quivering lips that wanted to scream out to the two of them.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" The deceased priestess demanded, her hand slipping from his as she slipped higher onto the branch, arms flung out to hold to different branches alongside her. Though, Kagome couldn't figure out why her eyes had narrowed accusingly, evilly. 'Lucky', she would call the older miko for receiving such a loving gaze from the boy she wanted it most from. Never to be hers, and she knew that.

"There's something I didn't tell you. I haven't told you...I meant to...but." His solemn voice trailed off, his ears flicking behind him, signaling Kagome to duck behind the tree once more. A hand flung out to clasp over lips that shed heavy breaths. All she could do was sit back against the tree, her back pressing to the rough bark, and pray that he hadn't caught a sign of her.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Kikyou tore his attention back, letting his dazed golden eyes fix on her again as he advanced on her. She allowed him to slip closer and closer, eyes set on hers in a determined gaze. Whatever that secret was, it brought a sad shimmer to the hanyou's eyes. What could ever make him cry? Not this secret, surely not. But how bad was it.

"You...don't remember, do you?" He asked her, blinking softly, his eyes trailing away from hers. He could only leave her there, staring at him with the most emotion she had expressed since her death. It make Kagome wretch with anger that she tried to keep inside. She hated how close he was getting, but she knew she had no say. It was already miracle enough that they didn't know she was there.

"What? I don't-" Kikyou's eyes shot wide as Inuyasha neared, a warm hand slipping over the miko's hip to bring her closer. Kagome flinched, tears tickling at her rims all over again. She could barely feel them spilling as a raging river when the hanyou moved himself deadly close. She could hear the priestess gasp as his hand dove into her yukata, sliding over her clay skin.

She stared, horrified at the slightly perverted sight of Inuyasha's hand in Kikyou's kimono shirt. It just didn't make any sense, the way his hands tore the clothing from her shoulders to reveal pale, bare skin that he touched eagerly as if it was real. But what shocked her the most was the way Kikyou just sat there with wide eyes that matched the younger miko's.

Inuyasha's fingers crawl across the front of her slender neck, slipping over her shoulder, bringing his nose to Kikyou's, lips moving to form: "You lecher!" before she finally began to squirm away, but the hanyou's grip and will was stronger than hers. He easily pressed her back to the tree by her hips, his hands finally finding their spot that made Kagome freeze with surprise and horrified shock.

Two fingers were placed against the priestess' neck, nails gently scraping her skin. Two fingers on her neck...it just didn't make any sense to Kagome as she sat behind the tree, panting silently with the tears streaming down her cheeks. She wanted to shoot up and race away, never see either of them again. She didn't want to see what came next, nor hear. She just wanted Inuyasha to be happy, her to be happy, Kikyou to be happy, everyone to live happy lives, even if it was without her.

But she stayed, and listened to Inuyasha tell the older miko something that would scar Kagome forever.

"You're mine." He muttered, his fingers moving away from the spot so Kikyou could reach up and trace her delicate fingertips over the two fang marks, dented into her perfect clay skin. "You were my mate."

Silence. That horrible silence that Kagome loved and hated at the same exact time. She wanted something to break the silence, but anything than what followed. She couldn't help but lock her eyes onto the two as Inuyasha sank against her, his lips covering hers, pressing tightly, and holding her in what seemed like an everlasting kiss.

Kagome melted on the spot, and not in the good way. She melted back behind the tree like the wicked witch of the west after being drenched with water, only, these were tears that drenched the miko. Her head settled to the back of the tree, a small sob letting loose from her trembling lips. She knew they wouldn't hear. They were too busy, caught up in a lip lock Kagome so dearly wanted to be a part of. But she couldn't, and that caused the volcano of transparent tears that danced down her red face.

Her hands moved up to cover her mouth. She knew she would surely start to sob loudly if she didn't have anything to stifle the screams that struggled to release themselves. She hated it, hated her, and hated him. She hated herself for not diving into that oh so tempting kiss the inu hanyou had tried to set over her awaiting lips.

'His. She was his...' She confirmed in her mind, eyes shutting tightly, but it didn't stop the tears. Those noises they made sank through the tree, echoing forever in her ears as they continued. She could hear them kissing, all until they pulled away, breathless. She wished they would quit, stop right there, but she could hear so clearly as their lips connected again in another kiss to leave them panting by the end.

She felt like melted tar stuck in the grass. She knew she couldn't move no matter how much she wanted to, and her thousands of tears didn't dilute the tar that had become her legs. She could only sob silently into her shaking hands, listening as the two placed kisses over each other's faces.

"That's not all..." Inuyasha finally slipped out through another kiss that stained a hundred tears over Kagome's cheeks and echoed a thousand times in her ears. She could hear the silence again as neither of them kissed again. She loved that sound, any sound they meant they weren't in love. It didn't work. Her heart was already as broken as humanly possible. She swore, at that moment, she couldn't possibly feel any worse.

"What else have you been keeping from me?" She heard Kikyou demand, along with the rustling of her kimono as she shifted herself more comfortably to give way to more silence. Kagome's nails dug deeply into her skin at the news of more pain to rip apart her being. More sobs breaking through her tight hands at the scene of her near twin's lips claiming her dear hanyou's. She just didn't know what to expect as his next words ripped apart everything that could have possibly been left of her heart, her mind, her core, her sanity

"The day you died, Kikyou...you were pregnant."

..:--.--..--.-.-.:..

AHHHH! -is obsessed with Johnny Depp- That make out scene in POTC2 got to me. I was drooling...literally. But I-... -stares at chapter- ...omg...don't kill me.

But...heh...good twist, right? It'll be explained...in horrific detail (kidding) in the next chapter...which will come later...JUST TO TORTURE YOU! HAHAAAA!

No, really. I love you people. So much, that I was going to upload this chapter tomorrow...but...I KNOW YOU GUYS APPRECIATE IT!

Well, here it is... -puts on a helmet- ...So...feel free to throw things. Tisn't a lie. The woman's actually pregnant! With whoooo's baby? You can guess...wonder who's...it'll tell in next chapter.

But I made it fluffly good, nah? Sorry Kikyou haters and you're welcome Kikyou lovers!

Crimson had left the building!...well...not really...cuz I'm still here, telling you that...but in a sec, after I finish I wi-...but I'm not actually in a building because this is over...the...NEVERMIND! -shuffles off-


	50. The Night FifteyTwo Years Ago

Chapter 48

_Kikyou chuckled, a sweet smile playing over her lips as she turned, narrowly missing the sight of the silhoutted figure of a inu half demon duck from around the front of the shrine. The priestess shook her head, raising a hand from where the two were poised, pressed together as she prayed, to twine a strand of raven hair behind her ear where it had fallen from. The smile wouldn't fade from her lips as she set her eyes back down before they absentmindedly raised to watch the dancing flames of the demon repellant candles that perched in two rows on either side of her. That was probably why the hanyou had fled so fast from the area. They were supposed to ward off even the toughest of demons. They proved their purpose._

He knew that she couldn't fufill that request. She had to sneak it away, or else, all would be lost. Her life, her job, her everything. She couldn't do that. But it was pleasing to know how eager he was to become a human, live a life with her as something he never thought would be a pleasure to live as.

She stood, hands moving down to brush the dust from her red hakamas. Not many people were permitted inside the shrine where the sacred shrine. It was the fear of thieves stealing away what they struggled to protect the most in their village. The very item that Kikyou stood before now, eyes narrowing at as if mad at the sparkling jewel. But how could she, when it was the only thing to bring the boy she loved to a form suitable for their living. They were going to get married one day. She just knew it. But how could a woman who was supposed to rid the village of demons, marry a demon? It just wouldn't be right, and she wouldn't bear to live with the stares, the names, the reputations that would ruin her job and her place in the world. But she couldn't bear to give up the boy either. It was just one thing, one tiny thing she would change about him, so that she could love him freely and become a normal woman.

Kikyou pushed aside the sliding door, her lips parting to call out the hanyou. "Inuya-...oh..." She glanced around, squinting into the cool darkness that shrouded the outside world. She stepped out, turning in a small circle, searching for him with a hand caressing her own cheek where his clawed fingers had traced many times before. But where was he? Where could he have gone in the two seconds of silence?

The priestess slid the door closed behind her before she swept herself onto the grey cobblestone walk. Careful not to wake the residents of the small village, she made her way back to her own hut where her sister slept soundly, though alone. She had to get back before the child awoke to an empty and cold home.

Her wooden sandels clicked softly on the stone walk as she neared her own house. She had only gotten a few steps, her eyes trailed downward, before felt firm arms clasp around her. A short gasp stole from her throat as her wide brown eyes shot up to stare into pure narrowed amber.

"What are you doing out here?" He demanded, brows curling inward in concern as he slipped his arms all the way around her shoulders, pulling her in for a quick kiss on those delicate lips, untouched by any make up that normal village women would wear. No. He loved her just the way she was.

"Inuyasha, I...Weren't you just...I..." She stammered, dazed by his sudden appearance out of what seemed like nowhere. Soon, she sank into his embrace, laying her head against his chest and feeling his hands move through her hair. She didn't have to be home THAT quickly. She had time for this, to let her eyes close and let him lead her away, into the dark safety of the forest.

"I know it's late, but...do you think we could change plans? Just a bit?" He requested, pleading with his eyes. His worn hands moved over her shoulders, almost massaging them as his lover slowly backed up against a tree, her smile fading.

"I thought I just...You know I can't do that." She started, but gave back to his confused glance and gave him his answer straight out. She knew he wouldn't pout. Not a second time, when he had just asked her to change the plans just a few moments ago. But she couldn't help but wonder what was going on as he murmured the oh so familiar: "Didn't think so. It was worth a try."

All thoughts melted away as the hanyou touched her cheek, running the tips of his pointed fingers into her charcoal hair. Almost roughly, he pressed his mouth onto hers. But she didn't fight for her breath, she merely pressed heavier against him, returning the kiss with all she had. She wanted this moment to stretch on into more, to draw him in where he couldn't escape. Then she knew he would be hers, then she knew he wouldn't change his mind and couldn't deceive her after this night. She just didn't think she was wrong.

Inuyasha's other hand more to run down her slender neck, his little finger scratching like a begging puppy at her yukata collar. He pulled her tighter against him as they strayed away from the safe shade of the tree as he pulled back for a tiny breath before diving in again.

Somehow, they ended up on the grassy ground bare skins against each other, handfuls of dirt and grass pulled and tossed away for another handful to accompany small moans. Between heated kisses, the hanyou's face turned into Kikyou's neck, teasing her skin with his fangs as he pushed lightly on her bare shoulders, pushing her back to the ripped and flattened grass underneath the starry sky where he could claim her as his own.

Kikyou stared, unbelieving eyes piercing harshly at him as if telling him in silence that all he said was a complete lie. Her eyes screamed it, but the way her hand slid over her stomach, caressing what was now only soil and bone. She didn't want to believe it, but she could remember every detail, every little sound he made that night.

"It was quick...but enough, before you ran back to that sister of yours. Then you got up...at daybreak to...bring the jewel to me." Inuyasha murmured, his hand moving out to cover her hand. She could only stare in pure shock at the hanyou's determined eyes.

" 'Course it was my pup." He answered out of the blue, his eyes moving downward to blink away the shining at the rims of his eyes. How could he be mad? He knew it was his, she didn't even have to ask. He could smell it inside of her the very moment it happened, and forever afterwards.

Kagome was silent. Completely silent as that dreaded word echoed endlessly in her ear. The tears streamed down her cheeks, but she didn't pay any mind to them. Her heart had completely fallen and crashed to the ground, burning the remainder of the shattered pieces of her heart into nothing but charred ashes of what used to be whole and happy with a mere touch from the hanyou.

That proved that Kagome got a little bit, but Kikyou always had and always would get a little more. She would always be a little better and held a little higher.

'Pregnant. She was pregnant with Inuyasha's...baby. They were going to have a life together.' She harshly told herself, the word ringing over and over. Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant. She was his mate, the mother of his unborn and never to be born child. 'I was never in the picture...was I?' She wondered, her hands dropping down, limply, into her lap.

She couldn't hear them anymore. All she could hear was that stupid word that severed what bond she may have had with the hanyou at one point. She could only slump over and sob crazily. She lost it, tears and sobs streaming freely from her that could alert the two at any time. But it didn't matter, she wouldn't stay any longer. If she did, she knew she would surely lose what was left of her sanity by the rest of the secrets he had to tell. But what else, so off the wall? Her and Kikyou were long lost sisters? Inuyasha was actually a full demon all along? He was working for Naraku? He had another head sprouting from his hip? But nothing could match what horrors she had heard that night. Nothing could break her heart more other than those four words the opposite than what she wished to hear but knew she'd hear soon. 'I don't love you.'

Kagome scrambled up, her legs like thin poles of rubber as she ran and ran as fast as those pitiful rubber legs could take her. She sped out from the forest, her tears shot from her face by the wind that she didn't wish to ever retrieve. She wanted the memories to fly off her face as well, be carried out of her by the wind where she could never find them again. But she knew it was impossible. Although, she had thought all that she had seen and heard to be impossible as well.

She weaved around trees who's branches tore, cruelly, at her clothing as she passed in a near blur. She couldn't see through the tears that clouded her eyes. She couldn't think, those word and sights crowding her mind. She couldn't breathe, those sobs tore each attempt at a breath straight from her lips. It was so scary, and she swore she would drop dead before the hanyou even noticed she had been or gone.

But he had heard her, and as soon as his golden eyes tore away from where his baby should lay, the scent of a thousand tears flooded his nose. He choked on the heavy smell, his head dropping back in guilt, pain, and tragedy sadness.

"Damn." He cursed, his clawed hands starting to pull back from Kikyou to allow his eyes to rest back on her. It shocked his heart to see her eyes narrowed at him. Her anger showed through, so harshly, that it tripped his heart through several fast beats before he felt himself start to actually breathe again. Suddenly, he just knew that it wasn't his place, there, sitting high on that tree with Kikyou, a hand over her belly. He knew where his place was, so why did he try and think so hard? Why did he hurt the sobbing miko so badly?

He dropped from the tree, pushing through the hardest thing he had ever tried to do: walk away from Kikyou, just like that, leaving her staring after him. But he just knew that the miko who had fled was the girl, as confusing as her emotions were to him, he needed to go after now. He had to force his feet forward to race after the girl who sped what seemed like miles ahead of him.

She shot into the light, dead leaves trailing at her heels, but she didn't stop. On, she raced, running across the village until her entire body ached with exhaustion. Still, she didn't dare stop. Each step she took forced a breath from her throat, each step she took was killing her. She couldn't breath, and she could barely see where she was going. All she knew about her surroundings was that she had hit open space. The brown huts and confused faces had passed in a blur some time ago to give way to yellow. Acres and acres of yellow flowers that surrounded her.

Kagome stopped, dropped, and sobbed. The sunshine colored petals tickled over her bare legs, dotted with tears that sprayed down from her showerhead eyes. Scream like sobs ripped out from her soul to let out through her lips, stretching into the sky that shone bright above. Her hands shot up to cover her eyes that shed tears to drench the huge patch of yellow around her. She couldn't stop, not even if she wanted to. Her shoulders heaved as she slumped over, crying openly as her hands sank away.

She loved him. She wanted to tell him, but how? When he had that perfect priestess lover and baby. He would find a way to be with her, she knew it. If he wanted to, he could. One day, that baby would lie in his arms. After all, wasn't this place just a feudal fairytale? Anything could happen. Secret pregnancies behind her back? Anything could be possible.

'Why did I let myself believe miracles could happen?' She wondered, scolding herself so much for believing that anything at all could have happened between them. Some just weren't as lucky as that strangely acting slayer and monk. Some dreams just never come true.

Kagome shook her head, shaking tears onto the flowers below. Tear after tear, sob after sob, before her eyes narrowed angrily at the dirt that moved beneath her fingers. What was that tinge of red and white buried in the dark dirt? She fingered it carefully before plucking it out with a few blades of green grass.

The red smeared over her white fingers, resulting in questioning red rimmed eyes as she searched for more. She slowly gathered the multiple pieces, sorting them in her drenched hands to glare madly at them. Lipstick. Red lipstick in a creamy white shell. But it was shattered?

So unexpectedly, Kagome clenched the broken item along with her fist until she felt the sharp edges sting into her sweet flesh. She let out a horrid, spine tingling, bone breaking, teeth chattering, ear splitting scream of pure sorrow and anger, just to let it all out. She let the pieces tumble back to the ground, away from the purple rimmed punctures in her palm. Just one more thing to remind her of what used to be of what she dreamed to be a part of.

..:--..-.--.-.-:..

Kaaaayyyy...I knew I'd be pummeled. -rubs side of her head-.

I just knew you'd all flip from that one!

So much for our dear Inu "keeping it in his pants"...HE'S GOT A BABY!

Nasty fella. I always knew he was that bad boy type. Tsk tsk. And before marriage and everything...

I was gonna wait till tomorrow to update again...but I decided to whip in the chapter so you guys can sleep tonight. -snicker-

Anyway...as for this being an InuxKag story...you'll just have to find out!

Yeah. Sorry! I've been threatened with a giant katana from this one. But I loved the sudden swarming reviews! I get more for these shocking chapters than regular happy ones!

Heh. Then, boy, am I gonna get a lot of reviews by the time I'm done with this baby.

Get ready for some twisty turny junk, peoples!

Love ya as always! See ya next time!


	51. Confessions Of A Broken Heart

**Chapter 49**

_"Kikyou. You made a deal with me. You can't let this get in the way. You will get what you please, if you stick with the plan. Remember, this will not alter the plan. Tonight, Kagome will be killed, then you are free to take that half breed's life."_

It hurt so bad to know that she never was and never would be the one Inuyasha truly loved. She knew how he cared for Kikyou and she knew that he would never forget about her. She never asked him to forget her. And she never would. She would only slump over, holding her sore hands in her lap, listening to those footsteps race through the forest as she cried like a heavy rain cloud, burst from the pressure of it all.

"Tell me the truth...did you ever love me?" She called the question to the cold air that swiped and tickled at her wet cheeks. She shook her head, a short sob choking out as she slumped even farther over until the flowers caressed her burning cheeks.

"Kagome..." He breathed her name, his voice choking with the guilt that swarmed his brain. She had heard every single word, hadn't she? That was why she kneeled in that flower crowded field, her hands wrapped around her in a tight self-embrace. He couldn't help but hang his head in complete shame. She wasn't supposed to ever know what he had done with Kikyou so long ago. Neither was the priestess herself. It was supposed to be his own secret that killed him inside every day of his life.

The inu hanyou stepped forward, reaching out a clawed hand to touch her. The tips of his nails traced against the back of her black silken head. That soft feel against his fingers. Kikyou didn't have than in her course raven hair. She didn't have those shining, flowing, tresses he died to run his fingers through time and time again.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Kagome screamed, her head dipping farther to escape the sweet feel of his fingers that had once traced over Kikyou's face. She didn't want him to hug her anymore, because she could almost tell how tears were forming behind his eyes. But he would not cry. He had made that painfully clear to her.

"Kagome…I-" The hanyou tried to explain, his fingers jerking back in shock of her raised and choking voice. Not Kagome. Not his Kagome. She would never reject him like that. What had he done to the bright girl he once knew and loved?

"Stop it! Shut up! I heard enough back there." She ordered, her voice cracking with her tears. Her hands slipped down to brace herself against the grassy bottom. Her fingers twisted in the green and yellow blurs of color. Things she once found beautiful and exciting were nothing but gray blobs to her now.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha struggled to push out again, only to have his words stop in his throat. What could he possibly say to her? He couldn't touch her. He couldn't bring her into a hug or kiss her face, kiss those horrible tears away. There was no way she would let him now.

"You lied to me...You lied to me! You never said anything about that when you told me about your past life. You lied." Kagome pushed onto him, letting him know just how much she had found out. Just to show him she wasn't as stupid as he dared to call her.

"I just left out some little thing, Kagome. I-" He cried back, fighting down the guilt in his mind that agreed with her. He was a liar. A dirty liar who would rather break than tell the complete truth.

Each word he spoke made Kagome become more rigid, made her frail body crunch together. It bent her and would continue to bend her until she snapped. But how could he back down and let her win? Even if it meant keeping the only girl who made him smile. Even with those tears sliding down her red tinged skin. He could smell each one so clearly that he could almost count each and every one that fell from her lashes.

"Little? Little! You got her pregnant, Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, twisting around to glare him in the eye. It froze the hanyou to the spot, his eyes wide at the never ending streaks of tears that spilled down her beautiful face. She was way too beautiful for that; way to precious to be crying so hard.

"It's not like I meant to do it!" Inuyasha snapped back, forcing his eyes to narrow at her red face. But she looked so sad, so broken inside. He could only wonder how long he could stand there with that mad expression, bending her until she was about to snap, before he gave in.

"While you're always thinking of her…I'm always thinking of you…I just though you should know…" Kagome confessed, her knees slowly sinking in against her heaving chest. She could barely talk through her constant sobs. It hurt undeniably to be lied to when you didn't know the feeling.

"You don't understand! I-" Again, his words of explanation were cut short by her cracked voice.

"No, YOU don't understand! You never will...Has no one told you she's not breathing?" Kagome screamed back, twirling on her legs as she straightened and stood up, hands clenching into raged fists at her side as a scowl twisted over her features.

Velvet dog ears flicked back, pinning to his skull at the sound of her screeching voice. It was so loud, like a burning blade had been swiped across the top of his head, cutting his ears clean off though the sound remained long after. He just wished she would stop screaming; stop crying; stop breaking his heart.

"I know that..." He whispered, gulping softly as his bloodshot eyes cast away from her. Still, the expression of hate and sorrow on her face remained in his vision and scent of her tears lingered in his nose.

"I was just wondering...Because...nevermind. Whatever you want, Inuyasha. I'm just mad. I guess...I just realized that I'm not sleeping. So...it isn't a dream." She commented, sinking back, her arms wrapping around her again, rejecting his arms that itched to clasp around her and stop her never ending tears.

"Cry me an ocean, why don't you!" He suddenly barked, his eyes shining and glinting at the rims. She wanted to believe they were tears, just to know that she had gotten it through his thick skull that he was a dirty, rotten, two timing liar.

"I hate her! I can't help but hate her! I want to be her! I want to be Kikyou!" She screamed back, holding tightly to her arms as if blood spilled down them from a deep wound. But the only wound on her was the wound that was held inside, that gaping hole in her heart that not even he could fill anymore.

He swallowed, his eyes snapping wide and those perky dog ears drooping at her hateful words. His Kagome would never hate anyone. This wasn't Kagome. Not the Kagome he knew. He had changed her somehow. He had changed all that he loved about her. The two girls he couldn't bear to lose would tear each other apart at any chance they got. It was crystal clear now.

"Why? Why would you ever want to be her?" He asked, the irritable glare washing from his eyes with the more shine that gathered at the rims of his eyes.

"Because you seem to care about her so much more than you care about me…Because you love her!" She reasoned, the scream rising into her voice again that she just couldn't hold down anymore. Each and every miserable memory was spinning inside of her, buzzing in her head, forcing her hate out in words that made no sense to her or to him. She said everything she meant and everything she didn't. She could only keep confessing these things she thought she would never say aloud.

"I care about you, Kagome! Can't you see that? Are you really that stupid?" Inuyasha retorted, his fists slowly uncurling as Kagome's rage grew and grew to something that was bigger than Inuyasha; something he couldn't fight.

She fought the want to wrap her arms around him. She fought it down and made herself remember the horrible truth that this boy in front of her was a liar. How was she really supposed to take in his words like abandoned kittens, soaked from the unmerciful rain they were thrown in? How was she ever supposed to believe him anymore?

"No! That's not what I meant…I mean…I meant…I'm just a friend, Inuyasha! I guess that's all I'll ever be. Just a stupid girl. A wench!" Kagome screamed, insulting herself crazily, her hands flinging up to clench in her hair. She stood there, her knees nearly buckling when all the hanyou could do was stand aside and watch his lies crumble her to pieces.

"Stop insulting yourself! Kagome, you are NOT a wench! You're not stupid!" He suddenly shot back, stepping closer, swiping at her hand to try to comfort her. It was painfully clear how she didn't want him to touch her, how she backed away, making as much distance between them as she dared.

"Yes I am! You know how I know? Because YOU called me those things, Inuyasha...You gave me those names!" She called back, a few more tears trickling down her cheeks from her laced lashes as she shut her eyes tightly. Anything to get the sight from him from her eyes and brain.

"N-No...You're going completely insane!" Inuyasha tried to defend himself, but his own words leaked back into his mind. Had he not just called her stupid but a few moments before? So she was right. Everything she said about him was the truth. But how much about him did she not know and couldn't throw in his face? How he didn't dare to admit that he needed her. He was too proud to say he needed her.

Kagome's hands slipped from her hair to push over her ears at his words. She didn't want to listen, she didn't want to hear him at all anymore. She could only imagine a quiet place, maybe that peaceful waterfall only a few steps away. She could barely hear the trickle of water of the crystalline falls

"No I'm not! I'm just mad, I'm so mad! She's living my life, Inuyasha! She's everywhere I want to be and has everything I've ever wanted." She admitted, her hands dropping from her ears to stare him straight and firmly in the eye, tears dripping from her own. "I want you to be happy...I just want you to be happy. I've always just wanted you to be happy. I'm not asking you to forget her...I'm not asking you to let her go...I'm not standing in your way...I'm asking you to forget ME. I just want things to go right for once. I want what's best for you...but at the same time I hate you, Inuyasha! I just hate you! I hate everything about you!" She suddenly screamed, letting the words tumble out, red flooding over her eyes and body. All she saw was Inuyasha kissing that retched clay doll of his. All she could hear was the sickening sound of their kisses and that horrible word. So she let herself hate for the first time in her life.

She let those people who she had once forgiven tumble out of her suitcase heart, the latch that strapped them all in finally snapping. She let herself hate them all. Hojou, her teachers, that stupid waitress, that boy who shoved her, Jokku and his buddies, the kids at school, Eri, Yuka, Ayumi, Kikyou, but most of all, Inuyasha.

She convinced herself, fists clenching, tears falling, that she hated Inuyasha. She hated him more than anyone else and more than she ever had. She said it over and over in her mind until a single thought slipped in through the million, crowding, red hot hate.

'So why do I love you?'

"Fine, Kagome! Hate me! Hate me today! Hate me tomorrow!" Inuyasha screamed back after what seemed like the longest pause of deafening silence. He screamed it with all his might, with all he had before he stopped dead.

His ears sank in a snap, his eyes trailing downward as the fiery embers in his eyes were put out by the water at the rims of his bloodshot eyes. He dared to reach two fingers up and touch his eye to pull back and stare down at the salty liquid that had joined Kagome's. He closed his eyes, blinked them away. Boys don't cry. But he couldn't hold in that last lie. It wasn't fine. Nothing was fine anymore. His hands flung up to rip at his hair, biting back his ego and pride as he screamed out three words that told her plain out that he did care, and he wanted to erase what he ears had heard: "Take it back!"

"No." The enraged miko refused firmly, stepping back, away from the teary eyed inu hanyou. It was hard to leave him like that, but she forced the truth into her mind. But if he was such a liar and all he said was a lie, why did he look on the verge of tears?

"Yes, Kagome! I need you, I still need you!" He screamed, his ego broken and bleeding, his pride shattered, his eyes gathering more tears at the rims that he quickly blinked away.

Kagome froze. Her heart pounded and her mind buzzed endlessly. She felt suddenly so cold, despite the raging fire in her eyes. Her heart, the blood that had frozen in her veins and heart started to crawl through her again, freezing her like she was caught in a deadly snowstorm.

Liar. She wanted to scream out that he was liar just one more time to rid that flutter in her heart at his words that seemed so true, straight from the heart. He said he needed her, and his voice had cracked like a little boy's, just reaching manhood. But she continued to refuse believing him.

"What? For your precious jewel shards? I know you think I'm not good for anything. You can find a new stupid girl for that, one that will eat up your selfish commands with a fork, just like I did! Get Kikyou to help you! I'm tired of being second best!" She cried, stepping back a few heavy steps, shaking her head endlessly before turning around uneasily and stumbling forward, away from Inuyasha, leaving him staring at her back with helpless eyes.

"No, Kagome! I need you! I don't want anybody else! I'm running in circles without you, Kagome!" He cried out, his shoulders slumping slightly in defeat as he watched her walk farther and farther away. He felt that stone hand clenching around his heart, squeezing what life he had left in him, out.

He had left Kikyou for Kagome, and now Kagome was leaving him. Now he had no one to go back to. No one's arms were open for him to crawl into like a little pup if he needed to. No one loved him anymore and it was all his own fault. He could only blame himself. Himself and that damned Naraku. If he had never tricked him and Kikyou into hatred, he would still be with the priestess. But then what of Kagome? He couldn't wish that. He couldn't abandon Kagome again, even if it wouldn't have hurt her at all.

With those thoughts swarming his brain, he felt drunk with sorrow and guilt as he hung his head, drowning in the melancholy he had created for himself. He knew he could chase after her, but what good would it do when she was so angry. Her hate was true. Truer than he could ever hope to be. She was the hero in this chapter, and he was the evil youkai out to destroy it all. So wouldn't a happy ending result in him backing off, dying somewhere alone?

Inuyasha was never reasonable. Inuyasha was never fair. Inuyasha had a complete mind and heart of his own, and would follow it whenever it gave him an order, and this time, it ordered his feet to move. His legs obeyed, sending him forth with two long leaps before he threw out his arms to slip around the fragile girl who had gotten but a few feet away. He melted to the back of her, one arm twisting around her front, hand holding her hip securely. The other wrapped around her front and held tightly over her shoulder, his chin resting over her other shoulder in a capturing, picture perfect, embrace.

His face turned in to the crook of her neck, his lips trailing over her skin as cold and white as ice and marble as he repeated his words from before: "I need you...I'm running in circles without you."

Kagome breathed in, out, in, out, but felt as though she was suffocating on her own tears and hate. But her heart pounded against her ribs at his touch when she thought she would recoil in disgust. Her eyes fluttered at the feel of his rough hands over her body when she thought she should pull away with an angry expression.

"…You don't need me. You don't need me at all. You keep leaving her for me, time after time after time. And I've been here all along. If I wanna wait for you for all eternity then, my god, I'll do it! But I'm tired...I'm so tired of getting my heart trampled on whether you realize it or not. You don't need me anymore...Inuyasha, I really feel like I'm losing my best friend." She spoke out after another long silence with the hanyou's warm skin melting the layer of ice off her fragile body.

As much as her mind demanded her to, she stood firmly in place, her hand trapped by her sides under Inuyasha's meaningful embrace. She could feel each muscle that rippled under his flesh. And, strangely, she didn't want to pull away.

"I do! I need you! You know how hard it is for me to admit stuff like that! Please, Kagome, listen to me! You are losing a best friend…but you are not losing me." He whispered in an exclaimed voice. Maybe it was just to keep his voice from cracking out again. Maybe it was just because they were so close and he didn't feel like burning her ears the way his were scolding hot from her hurtful words. But he held tight, brushing his lips against her silken skin.

Kagome didn't reply. She hardly breathed or even thought as she let her head drop back and turn in, her face brushing over the trembling half demon's silvery locks. He looked so troubled, so guilty for what he had done, and for the first time in his life, he looked utterly and truly sorry for something he had done. She couldn't help but forgive him and let that hate soften into mercy.

She wiggled away, out of his grip and pulled back to watch his face twist in horrible failure. He thought she was going to leave now? Not a chance, after all he had done to try to stay. She reached up, standing on her toes to fold her arms around his neck, resting her forehead to his. She sniffled crazily as his clawed hand moved up to touch her cheeks, rubbing away the last of the tears that had finally decided to give the walking rain cloud a break from the heavy sobs.

Inuyasha's lips curled downward, his lips parting to speak but only a soft whimper came through. His pride was already severely wounded, how could he possibly push through a 'sorry'? How would it make things better anyway? All that really mattered was that she was in his arms once again and he knew that he would never dare let her go again. She wasn't mad anymore. The fire had washed from her eyes to be replaced with almost relieved tears.

Kagome's chin lifted Inuyasha's agreeing and moving towards her as well, her lips starting to near his for that kiss that could stitch the wound together and hide the seams as if nothing happened. Maybe they could just spare one, whether the other wasn't in love or not. If only to cure what incurable disease that had infected each other with. Just one. It didn't have to mean a thing. Just one. But Kagome jerked away.

"Ugh! Inuyasha, you stink!" She cried out, sending the hanyou's ears pinning back to his head to rid of the sudden squeal as she pulled herself out of his arms as if nothing at all had just happened. She stumbled away, a smile forming on her lips by Inuyasha's dumbfounded expression that leapt over his relieved features.

He blinked, his eye twitching a bit as the cold washed over him. He had to stare for a while, determine that infectious smile on her lips as he uttered his famous three words when all else failed and confusion ran rampant.

"...What the hell..."

..:--.-..-.-.-.--.-:..

Bet the rest of you are just like '...WTF?' right about now. So is poor Inu.

So...things are pretty effed up by now, huh?

Again with the too-quick update! AHHH! I just type too fast or something.

Here's this one and I hope I've saved my life with it! Probably not. You guys really want that kiss...I know. Hm. You'll just have to wait and see...now just lower that katana...geez.

Bye! Remember to review!


	52. Guilty Pleasures

**Chapter 50**

_"Yes. Yes. This is it. This is the end. The full moon is finally starting to peek from beneath the clouds. Feel that, half breed? You can't control it, can you? The one thing you've ever been afraid of is yourself and that wench. Die with her. Then there will be no fear."_

Inuyasha stood, blinking with raised brows at the girl in front of him as she smiled gleefully. His eyes snapped down as a warmth spread over his hand. He caught the sight of pale fingers lacing with his own before he was suddenly jerked forward with a slip of girl's laughter to accompany his tripping steps.

His fingers quickly closed around hers, holding himself up before he stumbled and fell flat on his face. His breath had been knocked straight from his lungs by the past events and if he didn't get one second of relaxation, he would flop over dead. But he was glad that she was happy. If she was happy, so was he. That smile and warm hand in his own was all he had wanted from day one.

So what, they hadn't kissed. They had time, and they could inch their way into each other's lives, towards each other's lips and let those words absentmindedly form. But Inuyasha wasn't patient. There would forever be that impatient ticking in his mind, like a silent and mental clock. There was just a matter of years until the last grain of sand fell from their hourglass of life. It was all just a moment away for him.

Kagome pulled Inuyasha eagerly, the sound of splashing water spinning closer and closer as she dragged the hanyou along. He could only try to find his footing and rush after her before he fell behind. And he wouldn't lose her again.

"Whaddaya mean, I stink?" He exclaimed, dragging his body straight and up to hers for a split second before falling back once more to be dragged among a patch of crowding trees. Their branches dangled down, swiping at his silver ears as if to tear them from his skull with it's dry fingers.

"You stink, is what I mean! You haven't taken a bath in a while, have you?" She questioned, giggling slightly as she pulled his arm closer to twine around hers like a married couple would do at a wedding, with their hands still closed around each other. She drew him nearer, until he caught his balance and moved easily with her, only to jolt to a stop.

"Wh-whoa!" He cried out, dancing on his tip toes at the edge of clear liquid lapping at his feet. He breathed out slowly, falling back and taking in the sudden scent of Sakura blossoms. His head snapped to the side to glance at Kagome as she took a deep breath, her smile curving over her features. It wasn't her smell that was so strong in his nose. Hers stood out a different way.

Slowly, his amber eyes cast back in front of him to widen in sparkling awe, then back to Kagome with a deeper look. His tongue moved anxiously inside his mouth, swallowing again and again like a little child in the midst of a desperate drought.

Picture perfect. Like one of the oil, colorful paintings hung on a stark white wall in the Higurashi house. It looked like something that should hanging in her home, not something she should be standing in. There was no way something so beautiful could have escaped one's mind. No god had the power to make those yellow and pink, blue and purple, flowers curl up around their ankles with blasting colors sprouting about. The crashing of wave after wave of undying white and blue crystalline water down that waterfall was just too unreal. The clear water spread like a stream across grey rocks, worn smooth with time, before puddling into a pond yards away, surrounded by stones and boulders that jutted this way and that. Smoothed slips of silvery rock slid off from the warm watered pond, rocks jutting up around the small cove where small puddles lingered. Emerald ivy twisted up dark trunks of willowing Sakura trees, their unfading pink cherry blossoms flaking from the over crowded branches to dance in the air around them. Pink and blue, all colors of petals swam in the deep blue water, churning peacefully. Rocks were shaded by the wild and free flowers and ivy, even weeds had their place to decorate the scenery. Green grass stood tall, twisting with the flowers that had bloomed, shading every inch of the ground beneath their feet with colors of all kind, washing over their legs and feet.

"Now...take a bath!" Kagome exclaimed, her sparkling eyes finally shaking from the beautiful starburst of color and smell around them. She shifted to the side, dragging Inuyasha in front of her to press her open palms against his chest. She giggled, playfully shoving him ankle deep into the water. It shocked his eyes wide once more at the feel of the warm water compared to the almost frigid air.

"No way!" Inuyasha refused, crossing his arms stubbornly as the warm liquid lapped over his frozen toes. His eyes, the color of crystalized sap that the summer sun shone through, glared almost seriously at the girl. A smirk was just dying to crawl over his pressed lips, but he bit it back with Kagome's frustrated grunt.

"Sit!" She called out, a sure way to bathe the hanyou against his will. It truly pleased her to watch his eyes widen as that dreaded necklace began to glow like the heavens. It was just a matter of seconds before he toppled over, his face plunging into the waterfall's frothy white waters, drenching him to the core.

Kagome stumbled back as droplets of the water flung out from the splash, barely missing her white blouse. She nodded contently as Inuyasha's face raised, silver bangs plastered to his forehead, water trickling off his angered features, his fists clenched threateningly. The girl merely turned on his menacing glare, walking in the opposite direction with a slight shake to her head.

A furious open hand raised, Inuyasha glared at his target, golden eyes like daggers. The crinkling white school blouse was way to dry for his liking. He thrust his clawed hand into the water, shoving a white watered wave over the dry girl's eased form on her attempt to escape with a smile. He couldn't help but laugh evilly.

Soaking wet with an expression more than angry, Kagome whirled around, her jaw clenched and teeth gritting furiously. She let out a low growl, like something a canine would do, something Inuyasha would do. It shocked the hanyou, making him raise an arm to shield his face as the girl splashed into the water, raising a hand and smacking it against the rippling water's surface. A wave of water crashed over the inu half demon's form once more, soaking him even more if it was even possible.

He blinked, hesitating to open his eyes again before he was 'sat' again. He knew it had to be coming, but he cracked open an eye, waiting for the remaining droplets of water to drip from his lashes, clearing his vision before letting his gaze fall on her again. It was more than a shock to see the smile that curved her candy lips.

She laughed. That gleeful little sound that rang in his ears for hours on end. He adored that childish laugh of hers, like it was true and straight from the heart. Infectious. He felt as though he could laugh all day at her side, over nothing at all. It was only a matter of seconds before the water and sparks flew.

The childish two slid over slippery gray rocks, fighting playfully, water splashing about, waves soaking them thoroughly, laughs spreading from their lips. Kagome shoved at the hanyou's shoulders, playfully trying to push his firm posture over. It only resulted in a quick knock to her shoulder, sending her in to the deep pond that consumed her body. Her hands dragged Inuyasha with her, her fingers catching in the strings that tied up his haori.

They plunged down, their hair floating ghostly in the warm water that made them never want to surface. Inuyasha's haori slipped down, hanging limply at his shoulders as he grasped Kagome's hips, holding her near as their lungs pumped for air that had been cut off moments ago. Their legs kicked, their faces coming close to touch noses at the sides. Their eyes opened, blurred eyes staring ahead at the other's graceful features as their lips parted, only to have water invade the caverns of their mouths. It was weird being so close after such a heated fight.

Surfacing, they gasped for air, bodies close as they panted eagerly. Air filled Kagome's lungs quickly, leaving Inuyasha still breathless at the mere sight of her soaked figure, consoled by the water they tredded. She giggled splashing at him again and again until his mind returned to him, forcing him forward to grab at her shoulders and dunk her under once more.

He felt his clothes loosening, the water rippling over his haori, slipping it from his arms and starting to tear at his yukata. He trembled, his eyes casting about for that raven hair and white that would float beneath the surface. He never did catch sight, even after taking the time to ring out his drenched haori, kicking his strong legs to stay afloat in the places were he couldn't touch the sandy bottom. He tossed the red fabric onto the shore to dry, worry rising into his chest for the girl that hadn't risen for a minute now.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha called weakly, his feet hitting the bottom as he turning around, his eyes searching for her in the water that would surely be above her head. But he didn't panic, he waited, his heard thundering madly in his chest until rustling caught his canine ears, flicking them backwards to listen carefully.

He turned slowly, a smile creeping over his lips at the sight of his companion of a year and a half perched on the flowery edge of the stream that her feet rest in. He grunted in fake frustration as he dunked himself under the water, swimming silently to where she sat, completely content with a smile on her face. He wanted to wipe that smile from her lips with his own, capture her in a kiss that she wouldn't have the time to concentrate smiling from. Finally, he understood that Kikyou couldn't make him feel this way, and he needed to know the truth. Kikyou or Kagome?

Kagome shifted her legs, eyeing the dark water, so deep that it had become blurry and a misty blue in the depth of it. She shifted her legs again, feeling goosebumps starting to dot her legs and arms, even her stomach and back through her transparent school blouse. Mostly, she just wanted Inuyasha to surface again before he decided to grab her leg and pull her back in.

Bubbles trailed from right beneath her and the girl let out a tiny gasp, pulling her legs apart as Inuyasha's silvery white hair sprouted like a tree from the water, sending a wave of water crashing over her. She blinked away the blurriness and breathed onto his lips that had suddenly come so close. Her breaths were choppy and choked as his clawed hand moved along her shoulder and up the side of her pale neck to pluck a pink blossom from her tossled charcoal tresses.

Neither of them dared to speak as the inu hanyou positioned himself with a knee between her legs, one hand holding him up on the ground, the other on her waist to slowly in her closer. He watched as Kagome's lips closed in another breath, giving him the signal to drop back into the water, pulling her along with him with a confident grin that forced Kagome's eyes wide.

They bobbed up in down in the water like apples at a party, just waiting to be bitten into by hungry teeth. They turned in a circle, their legs brushing one another as they kicked to keep afloat. Inuyasha could touch, but Kagome was nearly frantic as she clung to his yukata that was beginning to sag around his shoulders as well.

She breathed evenly, or tried to at least, as he held her close. It wasn't long before she felt her back press against a cold rock. Her breath caught suddenly in her throat, Inuyasha's feet touching, steadily, to the bottom as a hand raised to flatten over the rock right next to her face. Her hair plastered to the sides of her face, broken strands fraying over her rosy cheeks.

He looked so determined, so hungry for something that she knew she could give him. She just wasn't entirely sure how.

Suddenly, she felt herself slipping, her hands had sank from his shoulders long ago to move around her to keep her from falling under. She was failing, rapidly, as her chin touched the warm water beneath her. The miko didn't have to work for long before a solid leg shifted between her legs, bringing her slightly upward and letting her sit there as if a comfortable chair.

Kagome felt her legs start to throb, and the tingling sensation that followed trailed up her body, her cheeks growing redder as she stared at Inuyasha, at the need in his eyes. She breathed out as slowly and steadily as she could, her hands finding their way to support herself against his chest when he dared to linger even closer.

The tip of his nose teased against her cheek, his mouth tilting towards hers before she began to tremble terribly, her voice coming out choked and cracking when she finally spoke.

"Stop." She demanded, unconvincingly. Her fingers touched the silken skin of his chest as the ties came undone on his yukata. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a drummer in a heavy metal band. She blinked through the darkness that had finally fallen upon them from their hours of rough play.

Those wide brown eyes flitted to the sky, watching as a thick clouds trailed across the sky to reveal a bright, round, moon that cast that moonlight glare over the hanyou's hair, making it shine with a hazy white glow. His face was shadowed, but it didn't make her realize any less than that he was moving in for a kiss.

She pushed lightly on his chest, her fingers tracing across the bare skin that only rooted him on. It wasn't rocket science to know that she wanted it just as much as he seemed to. But that image of Kikyou just kept jumping back to her head in a mental slideshow of what had been before her and what she was only corrupting and standing in the way of now.

"Stop, Inuyasha. Please." Kagome begged, her eyes turning back to his with a pleading gaze. But he held tight, a hand fishing down in the water to find her hand, bringing it up to lace with her fingers and press the back of her hand to the slippery rock her back was pushed against, freezing her beneath her see-through shirt.

"We ain't gonna live forever." He whispered onto her parted lips. There was no way she was going to fight it, and there was no way he would let her escape any way. Too many times had he let her tiny waist wiggle away from his grasp whenever his lips came near. Something always pierced through their cloud of bliss, as if it was forbidden or never meant to be. But he thought differently, and he wanted her. He always wanted what he couldn't have. And those tiny candy lips seemed so far away.

Kagome's eyes rolled back, finally closing as Inuyasha's elbow that held his hand pressed to the rock bent and he leaned into her. Her chin lifted, his face tilted. Her stomach did multiple flips while her heart performed a full-blown concert in her ribcage. After a few moments of frozen anticipation, she stopped breathing completely. He was so near but it was taking so long. It really seemed like forever, her free hand creeping up his neck to push into his sopping wet hair, the other hand clenched in his.

Finally. Finally, warm lips spread over her own, her heart doing a thousand leaps as he took a cautious taste of her lips. Sugary, juicy, sweet. Just how he had dreamed they would be. His chin touched hers as his lips pressed harder against those satin candy mouth until it actually hurt. Pain spread through the inside of her mouth, ripped through her plump lips, but she pulled herself closer, deep into the kiss.

Sparks flew, fireworks exploded above their head, birds sang, hearts swarmed them. Everything a girl could ever dream of in her first kiss. It was so much different than the one before it. The first hadn't been out of their will, this one was from the passion in their hearts. She felt like she was dying, peacefully, and floating into heaven. She could hear his moaning quietly over something she didn't yet understand, the moon high and menacing to him above their heads. Though, she couldn't help but wonder if she was doing anything wrong.

Inuyasha's hand slowly moved from the boulder, slipping down her side, the other still pressing her hand, madly, to the rock, almost as if to hold her in place. He trailed his scissor-like nails down her side, leaving her blouse to trail down her green skirt. His face tilted upward, his eyes squeezing tightly as he almost began to tremble. His fingers grudgingly stopped at the hem of her short green skirt, fiddling with the fabric there, making Kagome tremble all the way to the core of her. But he didn't move one piece of clothing from her quivering figure. He wouldn't force her, he wasn't even trying to push her into what he had done to Kikyou. Something inside him just pushed him to play in a nervous way. Something he couldn't control.

A soft sound slipped into the dark air when their lips finally departed. Reality sank in, and they panted rapidly, lungs gasping for air from minutes without breath. It was truly amazing, the shock afterwards, the chills that ran up and down their body. Kagome still straddled Inuyasha's leg to keep from falling under, but it was doing more than it's job was originally for.

Slowly, theirs mouths came upon each other again, fitting perfectly together for another heated kiss that would leave them breathless. The inu hanyou pulled away quickly, his hand slipping from hers to pull her to him, wading away from the rock that had served as support, even protection against what the hanyou seemed to want so badly. She felt exposed and unbearably warm without the freezing slip of nature's offspring.

Inuyasha pulled her away, wading through the water to slide over the smoothed and flat rock that surrounded the watery palace. He pushed her over the rock, letting her find her place before her moved over her, looking down into her red face. Did it embarrass her? Did she love him like she confirmed so with her kiss? He leaned over her, gentle at first, with his lips to hers. His hands dragged hers above her head to lace their fingers warmly. Everything was perfect. Even when the metalic taste of blood suddenly invaded her mouth.

Pulling back from her, he watched her eyes open again to look up at him. Kagome licked her lips, tasting nothing but him at first before catching that bloody taste on her tongue. Her eyes raised to his, lowering to his lips to watch a drop of crimson blood roll over his plump lower lip. She had no time to react before his lips met hers against in a harsh kiss where she could feel his fangs biting her lips. She could taste the blood running into her mouth, dripping down her chin when he pulled away.

"Inuyasha..." She whispered, carefully, watching the slight smear of blood on his lips glisten in the light of the full moon. It never occurred to her. Never at all as his nails pierced into the thin skin of her wrists that he held above her head.

"I take it back." She added in a small voice, her mouth and lips throbbing madly. She could even see her own blood dripping from the pointed ivory tips of his fangs when he spoke again.

"What?" He muttered, his brows curling inward only slightly as he lowered his face to her neck, dropping sweet kisses there. His lips and fangs left trails of crimson on her alabaster skin, his bloodied fingertips moving away from her wrists to run through her charcoal hair, streaking the black with red.

"I don't hate you. I lo-"

"Good." He cut off, giving her no time to speak afterwards as his lips slipped over hers again, drawing more of her blood into his mouth and pushing more into hers. No time to slip half a word and two more from her sore lips before another kiss was shared. But she didn't mind the pain and she didn't pull away. She didn't care about his roughness or the hunger and need in his kisses. Though, her heart still longed for those three little words. It ticked forever in her brain that he hadn't said them yet, maybe just to put it in her face. It was working. But she gave him time.

Inuyasha's lips trailed away once more to hover over her, panting eagerly. Kagome could see the desperation in his eyes and she knew something was happening to him. Something that involved the bright moon that hung in the inky black sky. But she would have never guessed that drenching him with her kisses would only make things a mile worse.

She sat up, smiling gently through the throbbing pain on her lips and wrists, both leaking dark red blood. She slipped her hands over his bare shoulders, surprised at the feel of naked skin. What was this turning into? Such an innocent teenage girl. She never imagined anything like this happening to her when she was so young. She just couldn't allow it. Her mom and grandpa would drop dead, her friends would never approve, and Souta would never let her hear the end of it with that huge smile on his face. But he didn't understand what they had done and what it meant for the future. That was why she couldn't allow herself to fall into Kikyou's place. No matter what.

Kagome forced him back, until he was pressed to a rock just as she had been moments ago. There, she slipped a short kiss onto his shoulder, watching him tremble and grunt with frustration in his struggle for something she couldn't see. She dipped her head down her hands on his sweating shoulders that heaved with a harsh effort with each of his forced breaths. Gently, her lips trailed across his chest, his yukata fallen away from his front a while back.

His nails dragged fiercely across the surface of the rock. Thin strips of crimson stretched over the gray stone, following after the hanyou's blood tinged claws. His eyes fluttered with the feel of the miko's lips against his bare skin that had longed for her touch for so long. The amber of his eyes rolled back into his head as he forced his arms to stay stretched to the sides of him so that he wouldn't hurt Kagome. Already, the whites of his eyes were tinged with a deadly red. He was rapidly losing himself to the youkai monster inside him as her sweet kisses crawled from his stomach up to his chest in a line.

His jaw clenched, his eyes clamped shut tightly as he shook his head from side to side, almost refusing to believe that any of this was happening. She couldn't feel anything about him. She was only doing this because…because she just didn't want to hurt his feelings. But now it had gone just a bit too far. He was just starting to believe her. He was just starting to feel her full lips brushing over his chest teasingly, no longer kissing him. Each one of her gentle touches was enough to drive him completely and utterly mad. And he needed her. He needed her to be his. His love, his mate, his life. But how could she ever accept. She was only a sixteen year old girl, almost seventeen now. He couldn't force her to throw away her life just to make him happy. But he'd deal with that later. Now, he just needed to feel her kiss and feel her love even if it wasn't even there. He would have her, at least for one night.

He fought mercilessly for his mind. He struggled against the animal inside him. His muscles tensed and his back arched, frustrated grunts leaving his raw throat as he struggled to keep his arms back from her delicate form. It was already too late, his fangs had already descended to bite into his bottom lip, his razor blade claws extended and scraped chalky white, bloody tinged, streaks into the rock he leaned against. The red glow in his eyes refused to fade and forced his arms down from the bloody rock surface, bloody with her blood, Kagome's blood that he had drawn from her. His hand pulled to her face, pressing her lips to his chest, making her kiss him. But she didn't refuse, didn't fight it. She wanted to kiss him.

His hands broke away, dropping limply at his sides when Kagome's lips drew away from him. He breathed, trying his best to fight the hunger that dwelled within. He refused to listen, only concentrate peacefully on what he really wanted. Her. Her safety and for her to live on, with him or not. And it was finally beginning to work, his claws shrinking slowly, until his eyes shot wide, red filtering back in at the devastating feel.

His breathing quickened, heart hammering endlessy. She couldn't do this. She would never. Not even in his wildest dreams. But there she was, and he could feel every second of it outside of a dream. He wanted to scream out, scream for her to stop. He knew this wasn't really what she wanted. She was doing it for him, and he knew. The hanyou's eyes squeezed shut, his chest heaving as he waited for it. Quick, before he ordered her to stop. But it was already too late as he felt her hands slip up his neck, lifting those heavy purple beads to replace them with her lips.

Kagome gently kissed his neck as he had done for her. She smiled at his near panic. It was something even she thought she would never do as she lifted the subduing necklace from around his neck, brushing against the tips of his alert canine ears. They flicked and flattened to his skull, his chin lifting at her kiss as she set the prayer beads aside.

That was it. A menacing snarl ripped from his throat, sending one clawed hand to twist, cruelly, in her hand, the other jabbing against her lower back. He sent her back to the water and blood splattered large, flat, rock below where he hovered above her for a moment before diving down with eyes as dark red as the blood that ran through his popping veins.

Her clothes were rags, hanging limp and torn against her body, art by Inuyasha's fierce claws. He snarled, lips pulling back in a sneer as he stabbed his pointed nails into her back, feeling the thick warmth of her blood pour over his hands. He listened to her moan loudly, right in his ear. His mind didn't let him decipher whether it was in pain or pleasure, as much as he wanted to know. He couldn't tell anything anymore, and he just wanted to scream out that it wasn't him.

'It isn't the real me!' He wanted to scream to her, just to make those soft whimpers, groans, and moans of pain stop leaving her pretty little lips he had bruised with his own against hers. He would cry, screaming at the top of his lungs that he never meant for this to happen, if he could. He couldn't help her now, nor himself. Only lay against her, letting himself tear apart her clothing to mark and corrupt her beautiful skin with his devil's nails.

Rapidly, his sanity inched away from him as his claws dug into the tender skin of Kagome's back. Deeper, like blades piercing deep into her warm flesh, tingling from his touch. Sizzling hot embers on her skin from the warm fire they had left long ago to bury themselves deep in the security of the forest.

She was crying now. He could feel the rivers of tears spilling down her cheeks and rubbing off onto his as he nuzzled his face against her neck, pressing his fangs against the untouched, sensitive skin. With a quiet moan, his jaw dropped to set his ivory animal-like teeth on her neck. Without a warning at all, his fangs sank in, stealing a sharp cry from the miko's raw throat as he lapped up the warm blood that poured from the heavy vein.

He could feel her hands working at his shoulders, helplessly digging into his own flesh only to leave little imprints like half moons by her nails. She couldn't do to him what he was doing to her. And he wouldn't stop, either. Not until he felt her chest heaving from lack of breath. Not until he felt her back arch over his sharp nails and her thin body press tightly to his. Not until the remains of her ripped clothing were drenched in her own blood. Not until he felt her tears bathe him in her sorrow and pain. Not until her jaw dropped and he could hear her start to scream his name.

A hand flung out, drenched in crimson as if he had just returned from a bloody battle. It slipped over the wet rock, spreading her blood, splattering it against the rocks that surrounded, mixing it with the water that trailed beneath them. He could feel her hands slip around his back, working into his firm flesh as she tried not to fall under. Her seeing eyes were starting to sink into inky blackness, everything becoming numb so quickly. She couldn't tell if she was passing out or dying.

She choked out a haunting moan, her back arching away from those sharp needles that worked into her back. She gasped for breath, tears running down from her clamped shut eyes. Every inch of her body was drenched in her own blood and tears, and the parts that weren't still ached with white hot pain. It seared through her cut and bruised lips, stabbed through her back and jabbed through her wrists, slit across her throat where his fangs were still embedded.

When Inuyasha finally pulled his teeth from her neck to press his face to her shoulder, heated breathes steaming her skin. His blade like nails dragged down her back, blood seeping out in puddles that surrounded them until the sight, smell, and feel became just too much to bear.

"Inuyasha!" She screamed out, her head tossing restlessly though she didn't fight him. Her breathes caught in her throat, burning bloody holes in her lungs. She was sure she would die like this, laying under him with his hands tearing at every inch of her flesh. His claws hand marked her thighs in streaks. They had claimed her neck, her back, her shoulders. And now there was nothing left, only to plead helplessly for him to spare her life.

"Inuyasha, please!"

..:--..-.-.--.--..-:..

...-smirk-...Go wild!

How's THAT for a first kiss?

Better watch it, hanyou boy...don't want a repeat of Kikyou.

Yeah, I know...upsetting...but very fufilling. I hope you guys really enjoyed this one because I definitely tried my best.

Long, too...so...what's gonna happen now, you think? Feel free to shout out some random suggestions or what you think is going to happen...Even though my plot is packed down in my head, I still may add in some things. Ya never know...well...I do.

How horrible...I know exactly what's going to happen...and yooooou...don't!

-evil cackle-


	53. Almost Mine

**Chapter 51**

Robins and birds of all breeds chirped their morning sound, flying about gleefully. They landed on the jutting rocks, black birds gently picking flakes of bloody mica from the boulders. They waded in the crimson puddles that dotted the rocks below, as if something horrible had not happened, as if they just couldn't sense the vibe of pure horror and sorrow that had dwelled there for hours during the night. Had it all been swept away with death, or the wind?

A tiny grunt lifted from cracked and sore lips, bloody beyond imaginable. The figure, drenched in nothing but red, shifted painfully. Silver hair cast aside at the turn of his head, revealing handsome, youthful features. Pure red was smeared across his lips and cheeks, forehead and neck. There wasn't an inch of him that wasn't covered in the thick, vital, fluid.

'W-What am I doing? Where am I? What did I do? What happened last night?' Were his first thoughts of the day as he snuggled his head against the soft pillow he seemed to be resting his head against. His hands moved through satin strings, and, as curious as he was to know what it was, he kept his eyes shut tightly.

Then, it hit him, hard, in the groin. Kagome. He was with Kagome last night. He could still feel her lips on his, on his chest and neck. And when he swallowed, he could taste her blood. He trembled, afraid, now, of what he lay against, afraid to remember what caused that unbearable scent of tears and blood.

He let out a groan, amber eyes cracking open to shut again, wishing he had never seen. A choked, sob-like sound cracked through his throat as he gently pulled his head away from where it was nestled, against the girl's breasts.

The hanyou breathed out slowly, closing his eyes as soon as he opened them again to look upon the mangled girl. Her hair was thrashed over her face, parting in some places to reveal deadly pail skin and nearly blue lips. Bloody gashes were worked into her sides, streaks of nails down her thighs and calves, punctures in her wrists and arms and fang marks on her neck.

He recognized the markings as his own, as a mark one would put on a mate. But she wasn't his, was she? He would have surely remembered every second of it if that had been the case. No. Her clothes, ragged and ripped, barely covering her anymore, but still in tact and covering her body. But what had happened?

_Inuyasha's head snapped back, his solid red eyes gleaming fiercely as he let out a snarl. His silvery white hair flung through the darkness, whipping blood and water onto ever rock and rose that surrounded them. His claws ripped away from her back, slamming, open palmed, to each side of her head. His legs and hips pinned her down so that she couldn't move, even if she tried._

He listened to her screaming moans, and something inside him snapped. His red eyes lowered, blue pupils narrowing at her blood smeared face. Blood trailed across her flesh, from her lips to her chest, to her shoulders and neck. The hanyou knew he had done it, but it didn't yet come to him that it was bad, what he had done.

Kagome looked up at him, gently tracing her fingers along the bulging muscles of his arms to calm him. Nothing could anymore. Her kisses and words just sent him more and more over the edge, and made her realize more and more how this may be the end of her own life. She could see her own blood dripping from his fangs and splattering onto her face in clean dots of red, like his eyes.

His hands clenched into fists so he could feel the blood spread over every inch of his raw skin. HER blood. He didn't even know how much he had hurt her or where, exactly , all the blood was coming from. His vision was far too blurred to see anything at this point. All he had to go off of were the anguishing moans of white hot pain that trailed from the miko's throat in a never ending chorus.

He dipped his face down to kiss her with a soft whimper. The first gentle kiss after all the pain and blood and screaming. Was he finally spiraling down into his old self again? Kagome could only hope so as her lids grew heavier and it took more than the usual effort to kiss him back or even breathe correctly.

It was still all too weird to have him kissing her. She would have never guessed these moments would escape the dark depths of her dreams and silent wishes. Now, laying under him with her heart in his teeth, it almost seemed natural. But not quite.

Again, she felt his fangs sink into her lips, drawing blood like a vampire. She turned her head, panting for her breath that had filtered from her lungs as his nails moved back to her shoulders. They sank in, slower than usual, feeding off the way her hands clenched in his hair, her lips brushing to his furry ears as his face buried into her neck again. Every sound she made echoed through his ears, each and every moan or squeak of pain that made his ears twitch wildly but always turning back for more. Was he going to kill her now? Was this what he had in mind all along? She just couldn't think straight until her mind fell black and she finally fell limp under him with a last weak plea for her survival.

"Inuyasha...Please...I don't want to...die."

'No!' His mind that he sworn he had lost suddenly screamed out to him. 'No! I have to stop! I have to tame this damned animal! It's not the real me! I just can't control myself!'

The youkai's shoulders heaved, his forehead creased with youthfull wrinkles of a hidden worry. His brows curled, his lips quivering. With a long and loud whimper, he let her begging voice echo through his mind before finally tossing himself away from her, completely exhausted. He tumbled to a nearby puddle, curling inward with her blood still swirling in his mouth. To save her, he had to get away from her.

Get away. Leave her alone. Never touch or speak to her again. How was it possible? But he just wasn't able to think anymore that night as his lids dropped shut, sending him into a pit of oily black sleep that separated him from the girl he so wanted to save.

So that was it. That was what he had done. He jerked his vision back. All the blood was around them and he couldn't even tell where it was all coming from, but he knew he had done it. Had he killed her? Had she died somewhere in the middle of the night while he slept like a damn baby right beside her?

Inuyasha swiped aside her raven hair, kissing her pale, cracked, bruised and bloody lips. His own stung at the touch of hers, but he didn't hesitate to bring his lips to her forehead and then to her lips again in gentle, apologetic kisses. He knew they wouldn't help now. Not if she was dead.

He kissed her again, his hand lightly touching her chest just in case there was just one breath left. He waited, his lips hovering over hers, not breathing at all until he felt a tiny wisp of air move over his mouth. A huge wave of cold relief spread over him and he quickly blinked the surprised tears from his eyes.

The thought of losing her, the thought of knowing he did it, truly ripped him apart inside. That horrible feeling where he would never hold her again, never hear her randomly rooting him on in battle, never hear her sweet voice coo to him or feel her sweet touch, never have her bandage his bloody wound he had been inflicted with while protecting her, never look into those soulful brown eyes again, made him tremble with a pain that could surely kill him on the spot.

Inuyasha brought the limp and bloody girl into his arms as gently as possible, not to wake her. He couldn't see a lot of what he had done, his vision was still blurred with a slight red from the night before. All he could see was the dark red through his own red eyes.

He looked down at her, in those bloody and ripped clothes. He could see pastures of her pale skin, blood smeared, through the rips in the fabric. He couldn't leave her like that. The hanyou gently began to peel the bloody clothing from her body, careful not to look down at what was underneath. He pulled away the useless shards of clothing to leave her torso bare, aside from that 'restriction' she always wore.

He steered his eyes downward to her flat stomach, staring with narrowed eyes at the fingerprints, left in blood, he had printed there. He cringed, quickly swiping his hand over the prints, feeling Kagome's frozen skin beneath his fingers. The hanyou wanted to say he hadn't done it, but he knew the truth now.

He slipped out from under her, laying her back to crimson stained rock, hearing her moan slightly in her sleep. It almost made him smile as he backed away to wade back through the warm water, swiping his haori from a patch of blue flowers before hurrying back, wringing it in his hands.

"Good, It's dry." He spoke softly, shocked at his own voice. It sounded cracked and hoarse, and it hurt to speak. But he pushed aside the wonder of what had made that so and bent down to spread the haori over his crossed legs and bring Kagome back onto his lap.

Inuyasha breathed out slowly, gently tugging her just-as-ragged green skirt down over her hips. He tried now to let his vision stray from her face as he did so, but the disgusting urge was overwhelming. He had to admit, all of them knew by now, that Kagome wasn't too hard on the eyes. No. She was beautiful, clothes or not. But it felt more than awkward to be undressing her the day after their first kiss. 'It isn't like that.' He had to tell himself. 'I'm just trying to help her.'

He pushed the skirt down her scratched and gashed legs until it lay on the rock below. He pulled her in closer, shivering slightly at the thought of how cold she must be. He could hear her moaning again, shifting weakly in his grip. It was more than he could handle. This was the girl he had almost killed, almost made his own and then ripped to shreds.

Inuyasha pulled the edges of his haori around her, letting her arms fall through the arm holes. It almost made him smile to see that her hands never made it out of the sleeves. He knew he was taller than her, a whole head taller, but it was still a cute sight to put his mind temporarily out of it's misery as he tied it securely around her waist.

He dipped down to place a kiss over her dead-like lips, frigid and tasting of pure blood. Had he kissed off all that delicious candy he adored? The inu hanyou felt the need to stay by her side, cradle her in his lap until she awoke and healed completely. Then, he could tell her how desperately sorry he was for the first time in his life. And he would have, if a horrid stench aside from blood and tears entered his nose.

He snarled quietly, his arms moving protectively around the girl he held. His eyes darted around, sure the enemy wasn't around there, but close. Somewhere in that same clearing in the forest. He could smell every inch, even the slight scent of a still-open wound.

"I guess we didn't shake the damn demon off...that hiding was for nothing..." He cursed under his breath, shifting his eyes back down to Kagome with a look that screamed 'I'm sorry'. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I'm so sorry." He whispered into her ear, dropping his lips afterwards to kiss her there. He moved his lips to scan her face, dropping kisses wherever he could before he stroked her cheek with his crimson tinged nails as lay her back to the boulder below.

The angry half demon stood, his legs like rubbery sticks when he tried to walk. But he pushed on, stepping through puddles of Kagome's dark red blood as he went. Suddenly, he felt his foot kick onto something unfamiliar. His eyes cast down, staring at the beads of purple and white. That necklace. His face lifted to the air as he tried to remember what it felt like to have the miko kissing his neck so gently. So it really had happened. It hadn't been a dream. He brought a hand up to touch the skin there before dropping it to move quickly away.

Free. He was finally free from that necklace. No more 'sittings'. No more fear. He could do or say anything he liked now without the consequence he so dreaded. But would it even matter, if Kagome didn't make it at all. What if she died in that horrible pit stained with her own blood. And if not, how would she wake up and know that he had sat there with her in his lap, kissing her face and whispering he was sorry? How would she know?

He growled to himself, crushing multicolored flowers underneath his angry feet as he stormed out, moving back to the hut where he had left his father's fang. It seemed like only seconds before he arrived at the flapping bamboo weaving. He pushed it aside to cast his narrowed golden eyes around the empty hut. Inuyasha easily figured they had already been plunged into battle with Sanraku.

The half demon snatched up his sword, swinging it experimentally in his blood drenched hands. He turned on his heels, pulling the fang from it's sheath and ripping aside the weaving so harshly that it nearly floated to the floor beneath his feet. He broke into a sprint, his nostrils flaring, taking in wave after wave of the detachment's nose-wrinkling scent.

---

_"You worthless half breed. Hanyou. Mutt. This wasn't the plan. She was supposed to die...No matter. I did not let the knowledge of what strength you do have slip my mind. There is another plan, always another way to die."_

"Hiraikotsu!"

A massive boomerang-like weapon hurtled towards the deadly pale demon. His pitch black cat-like pupils narrowed threateningly, a smirk on his lips as the weapon bounced off his hazy black barrier. It shivered around his form that almost seemed to be floating above the ground. Each step he took was silent over the dried leaves. Each step closer frightened the four fighters more and more.

They knew they couldn't break the barrier. Inuyasha couldn't even break it, not even with his red Tessaiga. Only Kagome could save them. Where was she? Sango stopped, eyes shooting into the distance as if a battle wasn't taking place right before her. She dazed off, listening to Kagome's screams echoed in her ears from last night. They were so loud, the two youths. She hated to think what they were doing, but those moans, those screams and snarls. The only thing that reverted her thoughts into bloody ground were the shouts for her life that the miko cried out. They had stayed out all night. What could have happened. Surely they didn't get hurt. Surely Inuyasha didn't harm her.

Her Hiraikotsu stabbed into the ground, severing the surface of grass and dirt just as the slayer jumped back with wide eyes. If her mind had been open to take in Shippo's shrill call, she wouldn't have to be so surprised. Her breathing quickened at the sound of buzzing and Miroku's heavy shouts. Her eyes shot to the hissing insect that hovered before her eyes only to be whipped away from her sight by a rush of sucking wind.

"Miroku!" She screamed in at the same time as the kitsune that sped to his side as the slayer whirled around to take his hand in her own. She wanted to kiss it, make the diseased look melt from the young monk's features, but she knew she couldn't. If any of their enemies knew there was more than just a friendship between any of them, they would surely use it against them. She could almost see the poison spreading through his veins.

The remainder of the insects bristled dangerously, zipping forward to the monk whose cursed hand had devoured their fellow demon. They hissed menacingly, Sanraku watching closely as the slayer touched his hand, cooing softly to him with concerned eyes almost full of tears now. Sango turned, reaching frantically for her large weapon as a last attempt to save their lives.

A sudden flash of light, like lightening cracking through the air, shot through the space that was slowly being closed between the secret lovers and opponents. The hissing insects screamed painfully as they dissolved in the blinding light and air that tore apart their outer skeletons and what was still left inside. The strike lightly grazed over the misty barrier that surrounded Sanraku as he wore a disapproving frown.

"Dammit, Miroku! Can't you take care of yourself for a few minutes while I'm gone!" A confident voice called out to them. No one answered back as the monk and slayer's eyes danced over the hanyou's body. His hakamas where sagging limply around his jutting hips, stained with blood that didn't seem to be his own. One could never guess his yukata was once white with all the crimson that was splotched onto it's surface. Frantic handprints of blood where printed, slightly smudged, over his bare chest. His silvery locks were streaked with red, the tresses tangled madly. When he turned, they could see the blood coating his sore and cut lips. Instantly, they knew.

Miroku stared, almost as if the pain that throbbed through his entire arm was no longer there. His mind as wandered as Kirara moved closed to lick at his twitching fingers. He didn't have to think long, those bloody lips and dripping fangs were enough to tell them both right out what had caused those exhausted moans.

"No. Don't thank me for saving your useless lives or anything." Inuyasha retorted, turning away, brows furrowed at their strange reaction. His amber eyes settled on the demon before him but it took him awhile to work of a snappy line for him, his mind wandering back to the girl he had left behind. When tried to step forward, finally shaking her from his mind, he felt like he was walking over broken glass.

He stopped, letting his breathes drift slowly in front of him as he raised the deadly blade of his father's fang. There, all could see the miko's blood that coated his pointed tipped hands. They knew, and it made a horrible blush rise to his cheeks with his next words.

"What do you want from us, anyway. It's rather pathetic to keep popping up, wasting our time, for no reason." He shouted out. His brows curled inward even further when the youkai didn't reply. So the hanyou spoke again. "Are you that damned Naraku's incarnation or not?"

Again, the youkai didn't answer, even after an over raged "Answer me!". Soon, at the turn of his head, he knew why.

First, he caught the long raven tresses that danced in the air behind her. Then he saw the red she wore around her, and the red dripping down her entire body. He knew who it was and couldn't help but part his lips to squeak out her name. Soon, all the thoughts and memories, all the horrors returned.

He ran his tongue over his dried, bruised, bloody lips, savoring the taste of her. He could still taste her blood on his tongue, teasing his taste buds, leaving him wanting more. But he couldn't have more. Not now, not ever. Her broken and bleeding body was coming even closer, each step she took, running straight over his heart as he realized what he had done to her. Now he could see each cut over her body clearly when he couldn't before.

He tried refusing it, at first. He tried telling himself 'No. I did NOT do that to her. It wasn't me.' But the ghoulish, animalistic, bloody, designs he had carved into her soft flesh, told him otherwise.

The sound of skin forming together, ripping and tearing loudly, his eyes reverted back to Sanraku as a slim, spiked finger, formed into a stretching pole, slid along the length of his shoulder. Breath filtered from his lungs as another swiped across his cheek. He jumped back, reverting his eyes again at the sound of Kagome's shrill cry of horror. It wasn't long until he finally felt the blood seeping from the places he had been hit.

He felt the burn, but didn't make a move to tend to himself as the snake-like fingers stretched yards to hurtle towards Kagome. The breath stole from his throat faster than when he was the one being attacked. Not again. He wouldn't watch any more of her blood splatter to the ground. She had had enough.

Inuyasha sped forward, Miroku and Sango's shouts ringing out behind him as he went. He promised he would never let the demon touch her again, and he meant it. His arms spread wide to take her in his embrace, dart in front of the spiked hand and take the brutal blow for her.

A sickening rip of flesh and clothing rang out to startle the birds from their safe nests in the trees. The four that stood by gasped horribly, eyes going wide as a pool of dark red blood splattered over the blanket of leaves that had settled beneath them.

..:--.-.--..-.-:..

-hums-

Oh, Hi there!

How'd you like it? Bet you love me for not killing off Kagome, eh? And Inuyasha stopped himself all my his lonesome. Good boy. -throws a bone-

Hm. So...who do you think got hit? Do you think Inuyasha got there in time, and he was the one who got hit? Or did he fall behind, and Kagome was impaled? Or was it Sanraku who was injured? O.o

Who knows?...I DO! But I'm not telling. -turns up nose.

But, seriously. Don't be afraid to leave a review. Maybe even two! I'm going for the 100 goal. Though, I'd always love more that just that much. I love you guys! I love hearing from you!

Till next time, and sorry for taking so long.

Bye!


	54. Why, Kagome?

**Chapter 52**

Inuyasha's arms finally fell around Kagome's shoulders, his eyes wide, blinking, staring into hers. Their faces were only inches apart, his heart fluttering from the horrified look on her delicate features. More blood spilled, he could hear it. Whose was it? He felt something pump through him, his shoulders shaking lightly. Who had been hit?

The hanyou's body jerked forcefully as the sound of ripped skin rang out. His hands slowly and weakly gripped the haori that shrouded the girl's body as his knees buckled. He sank down, his hands gripping what he could, but not enough to keep him up. When he finally rested on the blood splattered bottom, looking up at the miko with helpless eyes.

His eyes trailed downward, his mouth dropping open a crack, his hands touching to his stomach. Gently, he removed his hands to watch the blood pour and cover his hands. And then the pain hit him. It seared through his entire body, jutting in through his back and out through his stomach, exactly where the blood spilled from. The blow had gone right through him.

"Inuyasha!" Sango cried, struggling to decide whether to run to his aid or keep at the monk's side. His face was already starting to bead with sweat, his breath slowly quickening all from one mere insect. They had gotten more powerful over the devious hanyou's absence, their abdomens swollen with poison.

Kagome dropped to her knees, pressing her open hand to the wound as tears welled in her pretty brown eyes. She wrapped him in a limp embrace. Every movement hurt to her, and, already, she had forgiven him. He hadn't meant to do what he had done. She could see it in his eyes as he stared up at her, hunched over and breathing heavily as his own blood poured from the open wound.

"Inuyasha. Oh no. Inuyasha, are you alright?" The girl breathed out in a hurried tone, pressing her other hand to the gaping hole in his back. A short sob echoed from her throat as she tried, desperately, to stop the heavy flow of blood that drenched her hands in warm, red, liquid.

The hanyou didn't reply, simply rose his eyes to her stomach where a small circle of blood was forming, stretching out nearly an inch now. A breath stopped in his throat. Not only did he get impaled, but he hadn't saved the girl from injury. He had failed both ways, barely hanging to the confidence that he had saved her from a death he could fall to with the fatal wound that ripped through him.

"I...I'm fine. You...got...hurt." He stammered, reaching out a trembling hand to touch the bleeding wound that's blood coated a round circle on her front. She merely shook her head, taking his hand in her own to drop her head to his shoulder, her shoulders heaving gently with her tears that soaked through his bloodstained yukata to moisten his skin. His lips parted to let out heavy breathes with a soft, lingering "I'm sorry, Kagome."

"No. It's nothing. I'm completely fine, please, don't worry. Just...don't...don't try to speak." She pleading, trembling slightly as his arms found their way around her to embrace her lightly through the immense pain. He turned his lips to discreetly brush her jawline, his face breaking a slight sweat as he choked back a cry of pain. He tried peering out through his heavy amber eyes but his vision was wavering insanely. His body was shaking beyond his control and nearly completely numb now.

"Kagome. I'm...fine. Don't worry about me." He demanded, suddenly breaking from her embrace to narrow his eyes firmly at her. He needed to be strong, he needed to always be there for her. How could he do that when he lay on the ground, lifeless and cold? He had made it through such injuries before, he could do it again, if only for her.

The determined in half demon stood, groaning slowly and helping Kagome into a stand along with him. He remained, leaning slightly against her, but soon straightened on his own. He could feel Sanraku's evilly gleeful eyes on his back as his blood puddled around him in thick, crimson, sheets. He turned, returning the demon's glare with a shooting gaze.

"Don't-"

"Fool. I'm fine. I've survived these kinds of wounds before."

Kagome sank back, her eyes lowering to her own bare feet, trailing down her legs to watch her own blood trail down the white skin. She sighed, fingering the tiny dot of a wound she had been inflicted with. Just as the thought of guilt that she had only received that while Inuyasha was bleeding to death, if not, something worse, she felt herself begin to feel strange.

Her skin prickled, she felt her stomach turn and bile rise into her throat. She had to struggle to force it down until all the color had drained from her features, leaving her cold and deathly pale. Her legs felt like jell-o, her eyesight wavering madly out of proportion until she felt her knees buckling and her head spinning. Within seconds, she had collapsed to the ground.

Inuyasha spun around at the sound, hearing a soft chuckle ring from Sanraku's throat behind his back. The hanyou made a weak step forward, the teal eyed kit beating him to the fallen miko. He growled, cursing under his breath as he dropped down, sweeping the girl into his arms with a spurt of his own blood across the grass.

"Kagome! Kagome, say something!" He demanded, shaking her furiously. Shippo protested at his side, screaming for him to stop, but the hanyou was nearly frantic now. He brushed his thumb along her blue lips, breath catching in his throat at the feel of her frozen skin. He trembled, sending a pleading glance to Miroku and Sango where they sat, hunched, Sango caressing the monk's hand with teary eyes. He wouldn't shout at the. He knew they wanted to help Kagome just as much as him.

"Ka-" He turned his eyes back to speak out to her again when his words were cut short by a spear of pain jutting through him. He moaned quietly, eyes moving down to widen, his breath slowing as more and more of his blood puddled around him. "Ka..gome...Why?" He finished, a weak and trembling hand moving down to grasp the pale arm that she had shoved through his open wound.

The hanyou's life was fading right before his eyes. He could feel the life draining from him but he held on, stretching on his last strength to raise his dimming amber eyes to meet hers. He watched her, watching the tint of blank red in her eyes as she ripped her arm back through his wound. His blood coated her arm so thickly that he could no longer see the beautifully snow white skin.

..:----.-.---.-..-.-:..

It just keeps getting worse and worse.

Well, this was a short one, eh? I just wanted to save what happens next in a whole new chapter. It's the biggest chapter in the whole dang thing...I think...Well...I don't know.

And yes, Inume, that's pretty much why Sango didn't go to see what was happening. She didn't want to walk in on them!

So, whyyyy...in the world...would Kagome do that, ya think? And poor Inu...the pup's gettin' wasted!

So just keep reviewing...yesh, yesh. And I've also got up another fanfic! WHOOO! If you're a Spirited Away fan...hm hm hm hmmmm!


	55. His Last Words

**Chapter 53**

Slowly, Inuyasha's vision was starting to fade to black. He could feel the tears welling up behind his eyes, like they dared to do from time to time, planning their escape. He almost felt like watching them pass by this time. The girl he just wanted to hold close, whisper a thousand things into her listening ears, was destined to kill him. He knew it now. All those dreams, those little pricking words in the back of his mind all told the truth. This was his fate.

"Please...Kagome...Please don't do this." He pleaded, falling back against his elbows, letting the blood flow freely as he bore his unseeing eyes into her red ones. Was his voice even reaching her ears? Did she had any control at all anymore? He recognized that blank look. This was all another's work.

"Kagome, no!" The slayer's voice rang out to them, Miroku's pained groan following soon after as he clenched his dark veined wrist. The words were just mumbles to the other two, eyes locked in a deadly staring battle.

"Hm. How will you handle your fate, hanyou, when this wench is the cause of it?" A deep, heavy, voice broke through the heavy sobs that had begun to peel from Sango's throat. His silent feet carried him back until the darkness completely devoured him, leaving them in a heavy silence, just as before.

His life was thinning, but his legs shifted to pull him up to stand on wavering legs. He blinked, clearing a bit of vision back into his eyes, but clouded by a deathly black that he knew wouldn't fade until the end. He summed it up, gathering the last slip of his strength that hadn't already been drained with the blood that drenched the grass like bloodshed of a freshly abandoned battlefield.

"Damn you, Sanraku!" He cursed the demon, shouting with no aim from the creature's location. His sense of smell was drifting away, his body beginning to numb to the point he couldn't tell if he was walking anymore or not.

No. Not walking. Running. Running away, leaving the screaming slayer and poisoned monk behind. Without even a clue of his surroundings, the fading hanyou raced through the only forest he knew. The one he had dwelled in for fifty years in a peaceful sleep. Now he blood was splattering over trees and fresh grass and leaves as he passed, running frantically from the only girl he just wanted to hold right now.

He could hear her feet padding close behind him. Deadly close. Close enough to kill. She was gaining on him faster than the boy could breathe. Faster than he could blink or slip another word past his pale lips that longed for her kiss just once more before he let her take him down.

"Kagome!" He shouted, his feet skidding over the blood slick grass. He whirled around, eyes narrowed at her. If something could bring her back into his arms, anything at all, he would give it up just to pull her back from the biggest mistake of her life. She couldn't do this to him. Something inside of her would surely snap her back, bring her to the surface once more so she could actually think.

He eyed her, watching tears slip over the rims of her dimmed eyes as she straightened an arrow onto her bow, aiming directly for him. Inuyasha froze, his heart seeming to stop at the streams of liquid that trickled down her cheeks. So she had already snapped back. She was always there, always herself inside. She could see every move she made as forced hands pulled the string and arrow back to shoot a fatal blow.

'Stop her. Do something, you idiot!' Inuyasha ordered himself, a hand crawling across his abdomin to hold across his bleeding wound. What was the one way the miko had brought him back from a state like this? How could he pull the chocolate brown he loved so much, back into her eyes, the sweet taste to her lips, the color to her cheeks?

The hanyou pounced forward pushing down the bow and arrow that she held in a death grip to take her by the shoulders. He pushed against her, forcing his skin against hers, his lips to hers, making her feel what he must really want deep down inside. He kissed her, lips caressing hers in a last attempt to save them both from complete misery.

It lasted, his lips to hers though the sweet candy had melted from her lips, the warmth drained from her kiss. She didn't kiss back. He knew she wouldn't. This was his gift to her, his last gift that he could push to her with a weak and wavering nudge before another groan ripped through his throat and another flake of his life crashed to the ground with another sheet of his crimson blood.

His nearly blind eyes cast downward, a hand limply grasping the arrow that had lodged itself in his leg. The blood was already starting to stain down the length of his hakama leg. It hadn't worked. Not even the passion of his kiss and love could rip her from the state she had been thrust into. He couldn't touch her. Not now, not ever again. He knew for sure, this was the end.

"Kagome...I..." He tried to speak, but the blood was already to work it's way up his throat, coating his insides as he backed away slowly, his eyes trailing back up to hers. He coughed fiercely, tiny drops of blood spitting out that he quickly wiped away. Only moments before the thick, red, liquid invaded his mouth.

His stumbled back, his sight tilting but the miko never fading from his vision. His back slammed against the smoothed bark of a tree, sending prickles up his spine. His tree. The tree he was destined to live the rest of his life on, but torn from that fate by a certain young girl. The girl who stood before him now, another arrow raised to threaten his life.

This was it, his back was pressed tightly to the tree, his arm clinging against his bloodsoaked yukata. This wasn't what she wanted at all, was it? So why couldn't she stop herself before the last grain of sand drifted from the hanyou's hourglass of life. He only had a few moments, and anything could loosen that frail finger from the string and send him hurtling to his death.

"Fool. I...kn-know you're...stronger...than this." He stammered, his head falling back, his silvery bangs bobbing with the motion. His whole body ached with a pain so white hot that he could barely think anymore. It was almost enough to buckle him over, right then and there, but his legs only quivered.

"I know...this...isn't what...you want." He whispered, hoping with the last that he had that she would hear him somehow. Somehow, his voice would reach her through the thick barrier of hate that shielded her lips, her ears, her eyes, any sense that could bring her back to him and lower that arrow from his chest.

It was useless. All was useless as the miko pulled back even harder. She strained her fingers against the string until it sliced her alabaster skin, a drop of crimson blood slipping over the thin thread, trailing down in a reddish glow. She refused to hear, the poison pumping through her veins stronger than ever, only on the edge of drained out with the tears that shed from her narrowed eyes.

The hanyou didn't try to speak anymore, simply let his head loll back in wait for her decision. He didn't seem to be afraid of the blood that had flooded the caverns of his mouth. He didn't seen to be frightened of the quivering of his body, the numbness of his touch, the fading of life itself. He wasn't afraid as Kagome's fingers slipped back from the string, sending the pointed arrow hurtling towards him in a final hit to blow away his life.

It struck him, harder than anything ever before. It ripped through his clothing, plunging through his spiking ribs to pierce his scarcely beating heart. The death blow. As if he had been saving it up, a long, agonizing moan stole from his throat to echo through the dimensions of the dark forest, even thought the pain didn't sting him. His fingers traced along the growing circle of blood that surrounded itself around the arrow that protruded from his chest, pinning him to the tree behind him.

Kagome stared, wide eyed, emotionlessly horrified as a stream of blood flowing, carefully, from the side of Inuyasha's mouth. The corners gently curved into a small and eerie smile. His knees would have buckled if the arrow didn't pin him up. But he was slowly falling limp under the arrow's hold, his shoulders slumping in defeat as his bangs drooped low over his cracked eyes. His hands fell to his sides, blood trailing off his chin to trickle down his neck.

He blinked once, twice, and then a few more times, but it never was enough. A single, salty tear slipped down from the hidden shelter of his blood streaked bangs, dancing down his lifelessly pale cheek in the realization of his miserable ending.

Once upon a time, he was here before, forced to rush out last words to the woman he loved before it was too late. Now, he struggled to stretch on his final moments, using each breath conservately though is chest ached with each attempt that failed or succeeded. Now, he knew better, and just what to say.

He chose his last words carefully, picking the best ones from the mountain high pile, uttering them weakly.

"I love you...Kagome."

His vision finally faded, his smile slipping into a pained cringe as the last grain of sand fell from his hourglass. Slowly, teary pools of amber closed to never open again.

..:---.--..--.-------:..

Did I mention how much I love you guys?...Heh..Heh...not working, it is?

I realize this may cost me some reviewers...and many chunks of my life...

Yeah...I'm not being convincing, am I?

But who knows what will happen next! Don't you wanna know?

Well, reviews, reviews, please. Tell me how much you hate me for it and if you actually cried while reading this.


	56. Missing You Already

Chapter 54

Even before Inuyasha had drawn his last breath, the thread of her hope was being gnawed. It snapped when his heart stopped. Time itself stopped. Words stopped in her throat and thoughts stopped in her mind. The blank, solid red her eyes had become slowly melted back to a teary brown as they rested on the lifeless corpse.

Her lips quivered, her knees slowly buckling until she knelt in the ocean of his blood she had drawn from him. She blinked, refusing to believe it, but the realization was already starting to sink in. It felt as though there was an over inflated balloon with a slow leak pressing against the inside of her ribs. It wasn't long until it popped, and her eyes shot wide.

"Inuyashaaaa!" She screamed out his name, long and hard. A second later, the tears had started to flow again, her shoulders slumping as she ripped her eyes away from the waterfall of blood that begun to run down the length of the tree from behind the lifeless hanyou. Her hair cascaded in front of her face, hiding her features, twisted in miserable shock and horror of what she had watched herself do.

His words rang endlessly in her ears, his deathly moan reaching out to her again and again. She could feel his pain, how the arrow stabbed straight through his heart, she could feel something piercing into her own. It hadn't been an arrow to put him back under a sleeping spell. She could that, how the blood trailed down from his unnaturally pale lips.

He hung there, silent, eerily unmoving, those last three words seeming to run off his dead lips again and again. He was dead. Kagome had killed him.

'What have I done...What have I done?'

"N-No...No..." The miko murmured, dropping the empty bow on the spot, wrapping her arms around her, her tears stinging her skin. He was gone. He would no longer be there to hold her when she cried, call her a fool when she was one, protect her in the midst of battle, smile and kiss her lips when she needed it the most.

And she remember those words so clearly, the ones she had dreamed to hear for years on end. His last words as a last attempt to let her know that he wasn't mad about what she had done to him. He didn't blame her, he didn't hate her. He loved her. And she loved him back.

"I love you...I LOVE YOU!" Her screams echoed through the darkness, frightening birds from their nests in the trees. They flapped their wings, sending crushing waves of pressured air onto Kagome's back, as if the inu hanyou's blood on her hands was not enough.

He couldn't hear her screams. He could never know, now, that she loved him with the undying passion she never showed. The worst part, the thing that crushed harder on her, was the pain expression on his face. He hadn't died with a smile, hadn't been happy in the last moments of his life, hadn't taken his last breath grateful that there was at least one more left. He had died, waiting for her reply.

It wasn't enough to simply cry or scream, her hands raised to twist in her hair, ripping at the beautiful raven strands, slick with blood. His blood and her blood. She felt like she was dying, like she would die. And even as she looked up once more at the lifeless shell Inuyasha had left behind, it hadn't yet hit her that she would never see him alive again.

A harsh moan tore from her lips as she hunched over, pulling at her hair as if to punish herself. She hated herself. She wanted to die by his side, if die at all, just so she wouldn't have to stay behind and miss him, nor him miss her. Now they would be separated. He didn't belong where she was supposed to go. Although, how could the miko make it to Heaven now? She would be rejected, the blood of her first love on her hands.

"I...never meant to...I..." Sobs broke through her sentence, until she finally just gave up, screaming out agonizing moans. She didn't want to move or speak or have anyone else near. Her blood had stopped running long ago, no use in waiting to bleed to death now. She was out of arrows. She would have to live for now. But as time went on, she knew it would only get harder.

She longed for his touch, his kiss like the last one. She would cherish that last kiss, even if she hadn't the mind to kiss back. She wanted to feel his arms around her, telling her it was ok and that she would make it through this living nightmare. But then again, if that happened, she would already be relieved from the dream gone wrong.

"Kagome!" Sango's voice rang through the chorus of the hanyou's voice as he uttered those words again and again. She flinched, sobbing harder at the voice of someone to see what she had done. Now she would kill her, rid the remains of the group of a horrible murderer. That's right. Kagome Higurashi was a murderer, and she knew it.

"Kagome, what happened? Why are you crying? What did he do?" She cried, dropping her knees beside her friend, slipping a hand to her bloody back to caress her there, caringly. What had _he_ done? Died, giving off those last words she so wanted to reply to him.

Miroku trailed behind her, beads of sweat rolling down the side of his face, but other than that, he had revived. His breaths were heavy as he leaned somewhat on the twin tailed neko youkai that lingered at his side. Shippo bounded up to the crying miko, burying his face against her shoulder as she hunched over, staring at her bloodied hands.

The monk stared, but before he could utter a word, Kagome raised her eyes back to Inuyasha's hanging body. She dropped soon after, her head hanging again to sob harder than ever. No words escaped her trembling lips. None were needed. They all stared with horrified eyes at the mangled corpse that pinned against the tree.

She was insane. She could feel it. Her touch with the world was slipping as a silence grew over them, drowning out her terrified crying. At least she was sane enough to know she was insane.

Miroku wandered from Kirara, dragging his unwilling feet to the tree, blood cascading in a river down the smoothed bark. The slim hope that he was still alive by the least was starting to fade as he raised two fingers to set on the side of his friend's cold throat. He jerked slightly at the feel of frozen skin. He gulped reluctantly, staring with eyes that refused to see the blue in his lips and feel the ice on his skin.

His lip quivered as he searched for a pulse. A moment later, his eyes glazed over, his fingers dropping from the boy's body. He let out a shaky breath, turning to the awaiting group. He hesitated to say anything at all before finally dropping the bomb.

"He's...dead..."

He heard Kagome slump over and _scream_. Try as she would, Sango couldn't calm her, tears coming to the slayers eyes to join the club. Miroku couldn't stop his own tears, feeling them streak down his cheeks in mini rivers as he tried to kneel by her and comfort her. Shippo's voice couldn't reach her, Kirara's velvet fur didn't soothe her.

She refused to move, her knees melting into the blood covered grass, her head shaking wildly and harshly. She moaned quietly, letting the feeling break through the bridge of hope she had struggled to put up. He was dead. And he wasn't coming back.

Raising her eyes to look at him, she felt empty, like she was starting all over again. The last year and a half was just pretend. This was exactly how she had found him, minus the blood and pained expression over his handsome face. This was the way Kikyou had left him, and now she had thrown him into this spot once more. Maybe he /was/ destined to stay pinned to that tree for all eternity. Or maybe it was just her who had picked out that fate.

'If I had just been stronger...If I had just pulled through, I could have saved him.' She told herself, scolding herself, punishing herself for all of it. Each mental wound she created on herself just didn't seem like enough to repay the death of the boy she loved.

Cackles lifted into the air, but she didn't bother to shift her gaze to see where the laughs echoed from. Her teeth grit angrily. Who could laugh at such a thing but the hanyou himself. She was staring straight at him. He was still dead as ever. Sanraku was the only other being who would dare to be so evil. But, again, she didn't bother to look.

Sango shot up, gripping the katana hilt that rested on her hip. The others swarmed around her, grabbing for their weapons to protect their broken friend. Shippo stuffed a hand into his pocket, ready to rip out anything at any moment , Kirara growling menacingly as the monk gripped the beads that shrouded his cursed hand.

Silence.

Ting!

The four whirled around, gazing with wide eyes through the hazy pink barrier that separated them from the others. Her head turned to gaze over to them with a limp and lifeless expression. Her face was pink, even through the glaze of the barrier.

"Damn! They tricked us!" Sango cried, pounding her fists to the pink glaze, calling the girl's name. Beat and scream as they would, the wall that severed them held strong. This demon's barriers were stronger than they could handle. What was left to do but destroy the beholder of them. The group was gone within the next few minutes, leaving the sobbing miko alone with the boy she had murdered.

Her head dropped back, her tears dropping straight to the grass below. Her vision was far from clear by now, no matter how much she tried to blink her tears away, they just kept filling to the brim once more. Memories flooded her mind, how the hanyou had slept, curled to her side. How he held her close to stop her tears and cure her unseen wounds. How he had caught her just in the nick of time when she stood on the edge of that building. How he had aided her wound when she had fallen, and then carried her afterwards. How he had let her kiss his cheek in the rain. How he had held her endlessly, so protectively, so lovingly. How he had kissed her so hungrily. How he had taken that last blow for her. How he had kissed her to pull her back to the surface...how he had died whispering that he loved her...

"How does it feel...losing the one you love? I know what it feels like...now you know too." An eerie voice tickled Kagome's ears. She lifted her bloodshot eyes to gaze upon the miko who stood before her, blocking her vision from the hanyou. She stood, hand folded behind her back, a sickeningly pleased smile forming on her lips.

..:----..-.-.-.--.-.-:..

Okay, heads up, lots and lots of blood up ahead. But just so I don't lose you completely, there is a happy part before this thing is over.

Right...glances around...I'm in a crappy mood. Bear with me, please. I'm really about to lose it. Maybe that's why I killed poor Inu off. Dunno. But here's a hint...I'm in love with that hanyou. I seriously love him with all my heart and would cry my eyes out while reading this, if it wasn't mine.

That give you any hope?

Well, I'll be gone for awhile, so I'm trying to get out as many updates as I possible can before I leave.


	57. The Deceiving Priestess

**Chapter 55**

Fiery embers jumped into her eyes as they fell upon the dead miko. She could feel her jealousy rising that should have disappeared forever at the sound of those last three words. He loved her, not Kikyou. So why did he kiss her? She pushed aside the question, wallowing miserably in her tears and the hanyou's blood. Her eyes dropped from Kikyou's, refusing to answer her question until the priestess' sharp words gnawed away the last bit of sanity she had left in her.

"It's over. You've killed him. He's dead. So why are you still here?" Something inside Kagome snapped at those words. Her eyes raged, her fists clenching along with her jaw. She shot up straight on her knees, tears clinging tightly to her lashes as her lips trembled when she pressed them together.

"No he's not! He's not dead! I didn't kill him!" She shouted, refusing to believe her words no matter how truthful. She just couldn't see herself dropping down, admitting he was officially gone. She just couldn't bear to face a life without him. Then again, she never thought there would be one minute without him in it.

"Who's arrow protrudes from his chest? Where did it strike? How much blood did he lose? What did that monk say when he felt for that pulse?" Kikyou whispered each explanation to her as she stepped closer, hovering over Kagome as the champion of this battle. "You killed him."

It hurt so bad. She was trembling from her horror and sadness. How could she have let herself let go of that arrow? How could she have watched him die right in front of her? How could he ever forget what she had done, or ever forgive her? Would it matter, if he was really dead? Already, the feeling of his fingers trailing through her raven tresses was starting to fade. Oh how she wished she could remember.

"STOP SAYING THAT! I...I would never..." The hysterical miko screamed, jumping to her feet. Every inch of her ached. Her head pounded from crying, her eyes stung, everything else stung from the hanyou's claw marks. Now, she didn't mind his needing scratches at all. She wanted more of them, if it only meant that he was back for good.

"…Well…what did you expect? Beauty always kills the beast in the end." Kikyou murmured, her brows raising tauntingly as she took another, daring, step closer. The miko was enraged. How dare she speak of him like that? Those animalistic marking along her arms, neck, legs, meant nothing more than his love to her. Right?

"Inuyasha is /not/ a beast!" She retorted, her fists clenching harshly until her own nails dug into her alabaster palms. It hurt, but not nearly as much as the wound the deceased priestess was creating in her already holey heart.

She smirked, and Kagome plowed over the edge. Her fiery hatred and angry fueled her, ripping her hands to open palms, raising one threateningly. Kikyou glared at the innocent girl. She wouldn't dare. But the priestess didn't have a moment more to think as the girl's open palm struck against her cheek, throwing her face to the side from the harsh slap.

Kagome gasped, stumbling back with a hand gripping the other, palm stinging with the feeling of her skin hitting the other miko's so evilly. She wanted to say she was sorry, but something inside her forced it down. This was the woman she had saved countless times, given up her happiness for her and the hanyou. This was the woman who had absolutely no reason to hate her so cruelly.

"Wench!" She hissed, touching the spot on her face where Kagome's hand had hit. Her hazel brown eyes flashed with rage at the girl as the priestess shot out a hand to grasp her arm, shaking her violently. "Leave!" She shouted to her. "Leave us! You can't have him anymore, you hard headed wench!"

The young miko trembled slightly, pulling away, though Kikyou held strong with her frozen hands. Kikyou shook her again before throwing her to the ground, eyes following her as she scrambled away. Kagome stood, gasping out lost breaths as she struggled to avoid the miko's grabbing hands. What had she gotten herself into?

The dark trees shadowed her, sending her eyes into a shock of black. She couldn't see, could hardly breathe in the heavy black, her hands fumbling for something solid as horrible thoughts sunk back in. Inuyasha was dead, she couldn't get over it, couldn't forget it, couldn't stop the tears from falling from the corners of her eyes once more.

A short scream ripping from the miko's lips as hands clenched around her throat, squeezing unmercifully until the breath filtered from her lungs, unable to pry it's way back in. Kikyou squeezed, jamming Kagome against the rough bark of the tree, nails tearing through the girl's pale skin. Her teeth clenched, her eyes gleaming as she watched the girl fight against her grip. She watched her choke, gag, and cry, until her legs finally buckled from pressure.

Kagome sank low, a hoarse "Please!" gurgling out with the last of her breath. She struggled against the suffocation, kicking her legs free from under her to thrash wildly with no response from the unfeeling priestess. Kagome writhed, grabbing at the miko's long, course, hair that hung over her shoulders. She kicked, gasped, wiggled, but it was no use as her head became light, her eyes clouding over.

She was right. Kikyou had known what she was talking about at their last confrontation. 'You can't save him'. No. She hadn't been able to save him. In fact, she was the one that had killed him, the one that someone needed to save him from. How could she possibly save him? She couldn't get her mind off him, even as her last breaths weaved from her bluing lips. Finally, with a last glance towards the boy she loved, the crimson blood that trailed down his chin, her arms fell to her sides, her eyes closing. Soon, she fell limp underneath the dead priestess' grasp, slinking down to lay, motionless, on the forest floor.

Kikyou stepped back, her hands shaking as she lowered her eyes to the motionless miko. She lay so still, and her lips looked almost blue. Her skin looked hazy, like it was covered in a layer of ice. The color had long since flushed from her face, leaving her an unnatural and deadly alabaster color. Ice and marble. Cold. Dead.

It was safe to say the priestess was just a bit frightened she had gone too far. Had she killed Kagome? She would like to say that it didn't matter, when or how the foolish 'wench' died. But it mattered. It mattered alot. If she was dead now, it would ruin everything else.

'Damn!' She cursed, mentally, crouching down to pluck the small necklace from around the girl's throat. At these times, she cursed being dead. She couldn't feel a thing. Not whether the girl's skin was warm or frozen, or if she still had a lingering pulse. The priestess would never be able to feel the soft beating against her fingertips. Kagome could very well be just as dead as alive.

Kikyou rolled the little glass bottle, sparkling sacred shards tinkling inside, around in her cold palm. She flicked off the little cork lodged in the top with a dead effort, striding over to the limp body that hung to the tree without a single glance toward the other. She dumped the slivers of the jewel into her hand, glaring longingly at them. She didn't need them. They meant nothing to her. These were the items that _Naraku__ wished to require. That was his deal to her. Kikyou got Inuyasha to go to hell with her, Kagome long gone to Heaven, while Naraku remained in the middle with the completed Shikon Jewel. Did he really believe the deceiving priestess would ever intentionally help the hanyou, even as useless the shards were to her? Never. Things were about to change in her direction, swerve out of Naraku's hand._

She stepped out of choking darkness. So suffocating. She would have wished to say the darkness had been the thing that had sent that girl's brown eyes rolling back into her head. It was a lie. The miko could almost feel Kagome's throat in her grasp as she wrung it tightly until the breath caressed out through her lips for what could be the last time.

"Inuyasha..." She slowly breathed out his name, stepping up to the hanging corpse. She cringed at the pained expression across his handsome features. Why did it hurt her to see that? Why was she mad that Kagome had left him in such pain while the miko herself had left him with a smile, hanging to the tree? She had to struggle to push aside her confusing thoughts to gently untie his yukata.

Kikyou wiped away the blood that had splattered over the bare skin, cleaning it almost lovingly. She caressed away the dirt, the blood, even the tears that had dried there. Even that girl's blood was crusted across his naked skin. She hated it, she hated her and him. Inuyasha and Kagome. Now was a chance to put them both down for good. Then she could rest happy.

Cautiously, she rolled the shards onto her fingertips, and, with a deep breath, pushed them into his frozen skin. She stepped back, raised her eyes to his, and took another shaky breath. She hesitated on her words as she raised her hands to caress against his blood-smudged cheeks. She left the blood, that salty trail where his tear had tread not long ago. Those things looked so perfect on him, so right just sitting there on his face. His blood and tears defined him. That was the way she wanted him to stay. _She_ wanted him that way. _She_ liked him like that.

"Now...you can keep your promise to me...but now is not your time. You have one more breath to take."

..:---.-.--..-.--..-:..

...-squint-... -.-

You did NOT seriously think I'd keep him dead, did you?

I'm frickin' in LOVE with him.

I would never completely kill him off without a last face to face battle between...oh, nevermind. You don't know about that yet. Duh. But who's to say I won't let him kick the bucket later!

HAHA!

Just a little suspense saved for later.

Okay, Now that I'm finally back and we have some hope for this pup's survival, how about some hugs and kisses. Maybe some chocolates. No giant katanas lodged in the side of my head, though. That's for later. This thang ain't over yet!

But, anyways, I went on vacation...it was...horrific. NEVERMIND!

And, yes, I do have a lot of time on my hands...I'm a loser...not really...I'm just a lonely little kid.


	58. Cold Blooded Revenge

**Chapter 56**

_His hands felt so comforting against her wet, rosy, cheeks. He was so close, and she wouldn't complain. It was Heaven, his lips pressing gently to her forehead as he cooed sweet nothings into her prickling ears. The miko had to stop and ask herself 'Am I dead? Is this even real?' But she didn't act on it. She kissed him back when his mouth finally came to hers. How could she say no? How could she turn away from those amber puppy eyes, dream or not._

Her eyes were clouded, as if coming to from a long, long sleep. So maybe it was a dream? She could hope, turning those eyes to his to part her lips. She hesitated on her question, touching the near invisible silver stubble on his chin. She always wondered how he never grew a beard, yet his hair was so much longer than her own. Maybe it cut it, shaved, like most men. It must have been when she wasn't looking. One of those times he went off to be alone.

Her fingers trailed over the silver stubble. She soon brought her lips there to trace along the short slivers of fine hair. She could feel every inch of his skin that met her fingers, her face, her entire being. Maybe it wasn't a dream? His arms that circled around her felt so firm and real around her hips, holding her close. How could this not be real?

She could feel the tears pricking at her eyes, and she slipped her face into the crook of his neck, her arms pressed against his chest. Perfect. Now the tears that trickled down were hidden from his sight. But he could smell them. Kagome parted her lips, letting a gentle sob move through but muffled by the hanyou's warm flesh.

"I love you." He whispered against her ear, clawed fingers threading through her dark tresses. Those three words that the miko wanted to return to him so badly, just spoken right into her ear. She knew he wanted to hear them, just itching to, waiting and waiting. But he was dead. This couldn't possibly be real. But, she could feel her underarms prickle with gooseflesh, her eyes go wide, her heart do multiple flips in her chest, pounding rapidly. This had to be real.

But as her lips parted once more, her face pulled from his neck to watch his eyes. Just as she started to push out those three words she hadn't the chance to slip through before...

Kagome's eyes fluttered open, vision hazy and distorted with tears and loss of circulation. She felt her body aching. Every inch of her. She tried to move, but only lay still, trying to remember the feel of Inuyasha's lips from only moments ago. Maybe it was him, maybe it was a dream, but it was him. Maybe they could communicate through dreams.

She was deep in thought, hope that this wasn't the end of him and her. So deep in thought, that it took a moment for the miko to realize she wasn't breathing.

She sucked in a heavy, forced, breath, that stung her shriveled lungs. Then reality was free to crush down on her, flatten her back into the shallow pool of misery. The pain licked evilly at the edges of her dream, soon washing it away. Now she was empty, but she couldn't sit and think how horrible her life was. Inuyasha was dead. Did it hurt more to watch the person you love self destruct from a place you couldn't touch them, couldn't help, could only watch them suffer while you suffered, yourself, from the way she had ended it so cruelly. Or did it hurt more to stay behind, wondering what the other one was doing, what they were thinking and feeling. Whether they hated them or not. Whether you'd ever seen them or not.

He must hate her. But, being able to know that she wondered so, but not able to tell her how very much he still loved her, hurt so bad.

Kagome groaned softly, stomach muscles working to help her sit up. It was no use. Everything hurt. She felt paralyzed, glued to the ground by her sorrow and hate for Kikyou. The dead priestess had nearly killed her! Just a moment longer, and she would have slipped under forever, never to awaken. That had almost been her fate. But not quite.

The miko tried to hold onto the dream, even though the feeling of his kiss and his arms around her had faded. She let her face fall to the side, hoping, and half believing, that the hanyou's body wouldn't be pinned to that tree. His death had been a dream, right? But there he was, hanging limply against the bloody bark. Just as she had left him.

She could see the hurt in his expression, and almost see the pain through his closed eyes. He was in pain when he died. He had left, shedding a tear, when he had made it so clear that he never cried. This so proved him wrong. But who wouldn't cry, an arrow through their heart, dying, all because of the girl he loved the most. He had spoken to her, desperately waiting for a reply. But she didn't talk back. She hadn't said a word back to him. Didn't he know she was possessed, that she didn't have a choice whether that arrow was fired or not.

Or maybe she had. She just didn't know it.

'Stupid!' She cursed herself. 'You could have saved him! You could have done something! This was her plan all along! Kikyou just said that to make you mad, dampen your spirits and hopes and confidence. How could you have let her get to you!'

Kagome shook her head, rising into a sitting position with another painful groan. It took every muscle in her body to move now. She could taste the sourness of blood on her tongue. Inuyasha's or her own? She took a split second to waver her eyes, slowly back to him. She couldn't stop the flow of the tears when they finally rested on him for a second time since her consciousness.

It was her fault. All her fault, and now she could never see him again. He must be watching her, trying to hard to scream out to her while she lay and self destructed. He couldn't say a word, couldn't touch her though his fingertips itched to trace across her heated and damp cheek. Torture. And she thought it was torture to sit there without a clue.

She stood, limbs aching. She pushed through. But she just stood there, glaring, almost angrily, at the darkness around her. She knew Kikyou must be lurking there somewhere. Somewhere deep, deep in the shadows that her eyes just couldn't reach. The miko rushed forward.

Kagome pushed past her aching muscles and the tearing branches that hovered down from the looming trees, flinging herself close to Inuyasha's limp and lifeless shell. She turned her eyes back to him, having closed them tightly out of fear. It was rising heavily as a lump in her throat. It felt so weird to be near a dead body, even weirder touching one as she reached up a hand to sweep aside his silver bangs. Her fingers had touched his skin. She had jumped a mile.

Since when was she ever been afraid to touch Inuyasha? Since when had she never wanted to be touched by him, or to touch him? The cold skin that layered over his lifeless corpse was nothing. It was still him, in life or death. Still the boy she loved- and killed.

The cautious miko lean forward, irises trembling as she neared. Her hands circled around his neck, fingers folding into his hair. Her heart beat quickened, her breathing with it. She could barely breath- bringing back the horrifying moments before her unconsciousness. Her lips quivered before she lightly touched them to his. She jerked back for only a moment, breathing deeply, fear clinging to each whisp of air that passed out of her lungs.

Again, she raised her lips to touch his in a final, one sided kiss. She lingered there, tears slipping silently down her rosy cheeks. She had never been afraid to cry. Not in front of everyone. But Inuyasha? Twice, she had seen the evidence of tears streak his face. Thinking of the moments he was alive to kiss her back, wrap his arms around her when she kissed him so, brought the sorrow gurgling up her throat.

His arms lay limp by his sides. He wasn't going to hold her. Not now, not ever again. Kikyou had disappeared somewhere. Sango and the rest had been swept back into a battle they couldn't possibly win. Everything was going downhill from here, and Kagome even felt as though she was tumbling so fast, over rocks and sharp stick, down a horribly huge hill that never seemed to end.

Her lips drew away, unsatisfied. He couldn't feel it. She could feel it, though. His frozen lips, still soft, but so cold and blue. It wasn't the same, and never would be.

Kagome's eyes slowly trailed down his body, eyes catching painfully on the loud and proud splotches of blood that scattered his clothing. Her blood and his. Just thinking about it, made every inch of where his claws had touched on her, sting wildly. She shook away the feeling, reaching down reluctantly to clutch the arrow she had shot into his leg.

A sizzling breath seared through her clenched teeth as she carefully, almost as if he could still feel it, ripped the arrow from where it was embedded in his skin. She dropping it quickly, letting the blood splatter over her legs. She trembled, stepped back, but not for long when she suddenly flung her arms around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck, just like in her dream.

"I'm sorry!" She screamed. "I'm so so sorry!"

The arrow that protruded from his chest stuck right over her shoulder, but she knew she shouldn't remove it. The blood would spill, and he would fall. Would it not be so much more graceful to have your grave as the tree you're pinned on? He was graceful. The hanyou was more than just a drop dead good looking boy, he was beautiful. The setting sun played over his tearkissed cheeks. It glistened against the blood that trailed across his lips and down his cheek, slipping down his neck. If she cleaned away the blood, wiped away his tears, turned his frown into a pleasant smile, he would just look as though he was sleeping.

She sobbed heavily, pressing herself tightly to his, his blood smearing over her front. She wanted him to hold her so badly. She felt so cold where his arms should circle around her. It was Hell on Earth without his amber eyes boring into hers.

"I love you so much. I always have."

Claws clicked, knuckles cracked, something moved beside her. Kagome took in a sharp breath, pressing tighter to her only protector, gone forever. She breathed silently, until something warm spread over her side. Her skin crawled, her breath caught in her throat, her head spun. She felt the fear wash over her in freezing sheets as she glanced down at the hand that cupped to the curve of her body.

She gasped at the long, long, nails that rested on the surface of the haori she wore. The hand clenched weakly to her side. Warm. So warm. She began to tremble, as if cold, from the warmth that tickled over her side. A pale, clawed, hand. She gawked in silence.

Alive? Inuyasha was alive?

Her eyes slipped up to meet his. She longed to see his amber eyes staring back at her with a sweet and reassuring smile. She dreamed of his boyish, charming voice to echo something like "You didn't think I'd leave you here like this, did you? Fool. I would never". The words stuck in her mind, but she was forced to save them for hearing later as the lids of his eyes crushed her hopes.

She thin strips of warmth crawl up the length of his form, warming off onto her. She couldn't fight back a quick, thrilled, cry. Kagome jumped to snatch the arrow that stood out from his chest. With a quick tear, she ripped it away from him. She hesitated, blood splattered across her tight features as she waited for his scream of pain, his yelp and hiss at her for hurting him so.

It never came.

She waited more, gently letting the arrow slip from her grasp as she waited for him to drop down onto his knees. He never did. He stood tall, his eyes closed, his hand over her side. What was going on?

The miko slipped her hand into his, bringing it to her face where she pressed her lips to his knuckles, his palm, his wrist, just so thankful to feel the touch of his warm, lively, skin. Slowly, their hands sank down as Kagome watched him curiously. Her heart pounded, rooting silently for him to open his eyes. Her stomach was already flopping wildly inside her.

"Inuyasha?" She murmured his name, then instantly regretted it.

A gasp tore from her throat, her head flinging to the side with an unnoticed, unexpected force. She stared, confused, shocked, at the forest. It was a moment before the pain seared across her jawline. She was too shocked to cry out, simply raised a hand to touch the slit of torn skin that stretched across her jawline.

Then she felt the blood.

It trickled over her fingers, dripping into her palm. It wasn't a lot, but the pain from the cut wasn't the greatest pain she felt. Her watering brown eyes turned to Inuyasha's, sobs breaking through at the sight. There he stood, his bloodied claws raised to the side of his face, his fangs poking out from under his upper lip. When she blinked, his eyes were open.

They were bright red.

..:--.-.-.-.-.-.--..-:..

Well...tsk tsk...he's alive...but now we have another problem. A HUGE problem.

Gosh, Inu and Kags just can't get a break, can they?

Well, I've got a nifty plan... -opens mouth-

Psh! You didn't actually think I'd tell you, did you?

I think it's much more fun to keep you waiting in antica...

pation.

Oh, that was good. Kay! Tune in for next time! See ya!


	59. I'll Bleed For You

**Chapter 57**

The tables had turned, and now it was Inuyasha's turn to raise his weapon to her, threaten her life and watch the tears cling to her lashes. It was her turn to die at his hand. Her turn to cry. Her turn to suffer. Now she knew what she had put his through. A living Hell.

"Oh no. No...Inuyasha." Kagome murmured, wavering hands rising to trace along the side of his face. He caught her hand, clenching it in his deathly grip, tearing a sharp gasp from the girl's lips. "Inuyasha." She murmured his name once more, struggling to keep her trembling eyes trained on him. She wanted to run. Of course she did. She was in danger of him, and she could tell he meant to hurt her.

Nothing, not even the blood that trickled down her neck, could put aside the happiness she felt to see the life that flowed through the hanyou. He was alive, he wasn't dead. Her guilt was barely starting to lift, her broken shoulders starting to heal.

Her words couldn't reach him or pull him back. He was stuck in what she had been captured by but a few hours ago. And what had happened between those hours? The ones while she lay on the leafy forest floor, her eyes blank and unseeing? What could have happened as she sleep? What could have urged his heart to beat once more?

"It's me. Don't you remember me? Kagome. My name is Kagome!" She urged, her other hand shooting up to cup over his cheek. She flinched at the hiss that seared around his pointed fangs. He wasn't going to listen to her. Her words were reaching his ears, she could tell, but they didn't alter the path he was set to follow. He was dead set on having her blood coating his hands.

Kagome broke away, tears blurring her sight. It was alright. It only hurt to see his narrowed eyes, not matter how much she wanted to see him. She wanted to be in his arms, but if she allowed that to happen, she would be dead before her head lay on his chest.

So what was left to do accept her fate? Miroku and Sango couldn't help them, and she was more than sure that she only slowed them down. Inuyasha couldn't understand her, couldn't heal her pain, only create more of it. She didn't want to hurt him anymore. She wanted to kiss him, hold him, and if that meant dying as she did so, so be it. It was meant to be.

But maybe, maybe, this didn't have to be the end. She could survive, bring him back to someone who could help. She could hold him again, she could love him and be loved by him as if that arrow had never struck his chest.

At the thought, she turned on her heels and began to run. If she could just lure him back to the village, back to Kaede, back to someone who could possibly help at all, maybe everything would be alright.

She ran, as fast as her cut and bloody legs could take her. She was getting weaker, but she forced on, her bare feet slapping over the pointed sticks and rocks that littered the forest floor. His blood was dripping across her face, down over her lips so she could taste it along with the tears that just couldn't hold back any longer. This was the boy she loved, out for revenge on her.

Dark, looming trees whizzed past, her shadow monstrous as it trailed behind her, running just a second later than her, just a second slower. The hovering branches snatched at her clothing, the blood soaked haori that shrouded her small form as she stumbled through the frightening woods. Without a clue, without a head towards where the village was, where her friends were. And the possessed hanyou was right on her tail.

Crisp leaves crunched beneath her raw and bloody feet as she listened to Inuyasha behind her. He was gaining on her, fast, faster than her heart could beat. The fear was a large, hard lump in her throat she was unable to swallow down. She knew this could be the end of her, and now her legs were starting to shake. She felt as though she was falling as she stumbled clumsily.

The sounds around her were blurred to her ears, her tears whipping away with the wind that pressed against her red face. She was so scared, so doubtful, the glass-half-full Kagome long disappeared with the last beat of the hanyou's heart. She just could push down the fact that she was no match, and the darkness had swallowed her whole, leaving her without a trace on where neither she nor Inuyasha was.

---

Kikyou's lips curled into an evil smile, her eyes filled with hatred as she spread her legs over the thick branch she rested on. Her eyes fluttered closed, eyes moving beneath the lids as she watched the two in her head. It had been so easy, slipping those three shards into Inuyasha's chest, now all she had to do was think it, and he would obey. He had no choice, just like Kagome had no choice when she had triggered that arrow to plunge into her dear hanyou's heart.

He was hers to manipulate.

The priestess guided him through the looming trees, his pace just a second slower than the miko's. Just how she wanted it. Her brows raised, her eyes still closed as she forced the hanyou to hide amongst the trees without speaking a word or laying a single hand on him.

"Time to die, Kagome."

---

Kagome's shoulders heaved, her tears stung her eyes, washing away the dots of the hanyou's blood as they trickled down her face. She trembled, casting her eyes wildly around the forest. Lost. She was lost. Everything was silent, and the trees seemed to close in on her, their branches stretching out to her.

Her dream, so long ago, played across her mind. The tree, Inuyasha pinned to it, her running, all the blood. It had been a warning. And she hadn't listened.

The miko turned in a slow circle, eyes casting around franticly. Another second, and she could be dead, lying at Inuyasha's feet, her blood on his hands. No matter how long, how hard her eyes searched, just the darkness glared back at her, forcing her hope down and her fear up. Around and around in that tight circle, the only one who could watch her back was herself now, and she wasn't a reliable friend for that.

Kagome's breathing quickened, along with the racing of her heart as she began to remember the place she stood. This was where Kikyou was attacked so many years ago. The seeds of trees had scattered over the ground, the foliage sprouting now. And she stood on the same spot where the priestess' blood was spilt.

"Sit." She muttered, trembling hands moving up to run through her hair. "Sit!" She screamed against. Her knees felt weak, her skin prickled, rushes of cold fear spread through her, jabbing at her warm flesh like icicles. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, prickled like pins and needles.

"Sit!" She repeated, her voice growing weaker as she muttered it again and again, arms wrapping around herself as a personal suit of armour. It was no use. She could remember it now. Every second of the night before rushed through her mind at once.

_Kagome gently kissed his neck as he had done for her. She smiled at his near panic. It was something even she thought she would never do as she lifted the subduing necklace from around his neck, brushing against the tips of his alert canine ears. They flicked and flattened to his skull, his chin lifting at her kiss as she set the prayer beads aside._

The subduing necklace was gone, and now he was free to do as he pleased. She couldn't stop him, couldn't hold him back from ripping apart her flesh. That one word had long since grown distant to his canine ears. He didn't know the meaning of it anymore, and it couldn't hurt him any longer.

"Sit..." She murmured one last time before the sound of crunching leaves filled her ears. Her eyes shut tight, tears clinging to her lashes as she struggled to pull herself around to face the hanyou that just couldn't be himself.

Even before she could turn around, face him for the last time, she felt herself falling forward. Even before she felt the pain, she could see her own blood splattering in a thick sheet to the ground. Even before she hit the ground, she knew she was going to die.

Her right shoulder dove into the ground, and the pain shot through her. Kagome lay there, letting the blood stab through her shoulder and down her back. She let the blood run over her pale skin as it began to become cold. She blinked, her eyes trailing behind her at Inuyasha, how he stood tall and proud, his hand covered in her crimson blood.

It was all so familiar, and she knew where she had seen it before. This was Kikyou's revenge. She just wanted to show them that she, Kagome, 'stupid wench', couldn't change a thing. At one point, she had thought she could, and that she really could save the hanyou. Now, laying there in the same position, same time, same place and Kikyou one lay, she knew she had been wrong.

Kagome waited, watching as Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, his claws rising for another attack. The final blow that would end her life, just as she had ended his. Her eyes shut tight, and she waited for her fate.

He snarled, blood spitting from his trembling lips as he growled menacingly. His fingers clenched inward, knuckled cracking in a sick way. Red eyes gazed down at the miko. She looked so scared, weak, dead. Was she dead? Inuyasha wavered, stumbling slightly on his feet, his hand dropping slowly. He stopped, breathed out a raspy breath, and obeyed the sharp commands that stabbed at his mind.

The hanyou raised his nails, a sudden, stubborn, cry ripping from his throat. He stood, legs apart, eyes locked down on the bleeding girl. That wound was fatal, the very wound that killed the miko before her. His claws clicked against each other as he blinked harshly, his ears flattening to his skull to block out the ghoulish commands he was destined to follow.

'Kill her! Kill her!'

She was supposed to die. Inuyasha was supposed to kill her. He couldn't control his hands any longer, his ears trying to hard to block out the voice of his former lover. He trembled, another forceful scream tearing from his lips. His eyes clamped shut, his claws rising higher to rip down, harshly, on his target.

Three slivers of a pinkish stone tumbled to the bloody grass below, followed by the hanyou's knees as his own blood ran down from the three gashes across his chest.

..:-.-.--..-.--.-.-..-:..

Well...that may have been rather confusing...sorry.

Hope you guys liked it. I doubt it, though! Things aren't looking good, are they? Well. Not much to say this time, so just stay tuned, another chapter will be up soon.


	60. In Heaven

**

Chapter 58

**

He had shed his own blood for her, carved the bloody shards from his own body to free himself from Kikyou's grasp. He lay, motionless, fading red eyes wide open, unblinking. Slowly, they faded to a dark amber, though the magenta stripes that crawled along his cheeks refused to blend back with his flesh. His chest didn't move with his breaths, But a hand moved forward. A short, sharp breath cut across his lips as he realized the crimson blood that drenching his fingers. He hadn't meant to hurt her, and it killed him inside to know that she was in pain because of him. The guilt was too much, the shame overpowering, enough to make him curl up and die.

His eyes slowly clouded over as his arm curled over the motionless girl's bleeding body. The feel of her skin was heaven against his. How wonderful it felt to touch her again, see her in person just one last time. But if he died now, it would hardly be in peace. She was dying right under his limp arm. The color had flushed from her face and the warmth from her skin. He would never forgive himself, and still would never after all the things he had done to her. He would live with that forever.

"S-Sor..ry..." He muttered, blood running down his chin from his pale lips. Without the jewel shards, he had nothing to keep him alive. With a hole in his heart, he was dying, but he had done it for her. He couldn't bear to rip his nails through her one last time. He would rather die than to take her life, and that was the path he had chosen.

---

The grass had been stained a dark red, a pool of it, drenched in the crimson color. Their blood was mixed, as it had always meant to be. Now it was clear, Kagome had been destined to live Kikyou's life. That meant a child. Their blood mixed in a baby between the two. If it had not been for the hatred driven priestess, maybe it would have gone that way.

**THE END**

(Kidding)

Kagome's lips trembled, a tiny breath squeezing through the slit between the two candy lips. Her whole body jerked, and the pain rippled through her. Her eyes cringed as she struggled to move against the horrible white hot pain that glued her to the spot. But, it was a miracle, though the blood flowed out of her and the pain seared across her flesh, that she was alive. She couldn't ask for more other than to hear a small breath leave the lips of the figure beside her.

Inuyasha.

Her eyes snapped open, surprising her that even that hurt. She shifted, crying out softly, but no one heard but the blue jays that scurried from the trees. The determined miko pushed herself up on her uninjured shoulder, arm propping her up as the hanyou's cold limb fell from around her waist. A shrill screech of the boy's name echoed through the forest.

He hadn't killed her, he had never wanted to, and never meant to hurt her. Had he given his own life to spare hers? Was that really something he would dare do? Had her Inuyasha died for her?

Kagome sat quickly, hunching over as the fiery pain shook her entire form, forcing it to tremble with the pain that was enough to make her want to die on the spot. But she knew she couldn't. Not here and not now. The boy who lay beside her, lifelessly still, she needed to hold.

Each movement she made burned like a branding across her pale skin as she pulled the freezing hanyou into her arms. She pressed her back to a nearby tree, tears trailing down her cheeks from pain and sorrow that nothing could calm but Inuyasha's voice. It wasn't going to happen, was it?

The limp hanyou lay in Kagome's lap, eyes staring blank and lifeless to the sky. The miko choked on the dead look. She wished he would breath, blink, anything that told her he was still living. The future, the slim hope, looked grim. But the miko wouldn't give up. Never. She trailed her fingers through his silver, blood streaked hair. She begged him to blink or breath, her fingers pressing to his cheeks.

"Please!" She suddenly shouted through the pain, out of her pain. She shook her head wildly, refusing to believe the blood that trailed over his lips and chin. Her back slammed harshly to the back of the tree, the pain spreading through her and the stinging scent of blood rushing through the air once more.

It was too much, the pain was getting to her, and her eyes were starting to cloud over. She blinked to clear the black haze, but only managed to catch the hanyou's lids slide closed and his face fall to the side, cheek pressed to her scratched and abused thighs before her own head fell limp.

---

A twig snapped somewhere in the distance, a bird chirped solemnly. The weak and dying battle screams of a man and woman echoed through the near empty trees. Robbins took flight, squirrels scurried up the trunks of trees. All living creatures fled from the blood reeking space, all but the charcoal crows remained; the sign of death.

The black winged creatures squaked noisily, their stick legs smothered in a thick layer of red. They pranced about, poking their inky black beaks into the grass. Another cawed suddenly, spiked toenails catching in the red fabric it stood in. It writhed from the clothing, ripping a slight hole in it before taking flight and brushed through the canopy of leaves above.

A gentle groan lifted from nearly blue lips, a slight ripple of movement disturbed the pool of red over pale skin. The former crow's perch twitched for a split second, though lips were pale as the moon that struggled to push the sun from its spot.

Gently, they moved, brushing against the alabaster skin his head lay upon. Another deathly groan pulled through his throat. His slightly moist tongue moved out, slowly, to take in the taste of salty skin. His hand gradually moved up to touch the silken flesh with trembling and horribly weak fingers.

Another sharp gasp tore through the air, the pale legs beneath the hanyou's head jerking slightly in a mild but weak flinch. Her long lashes fluttered open, the setting sun assaulting her unadjusted eyes. She glanced down at the boy's curling brows as he touched her thigh. A smile pulled to her lips. So they had both survive an hour or two of rest when she was so sure they would never awaken to see the light of day again.

Kagome raised a trembling hand to brush his sweat soaked bangs from his forehead. He looked like he was in so much pain. The wound that crawled down her shoulder and back was nothing compared to the hole through his heart that she had created. She had to say something, parting her lips to mutter his name when the boy's eyes snapped open.

His irises trembled, his lips quivering as she tried to speak out to him again. He looked paralyzed, laying so still against her coldened legs. She was proved completely wrong when some kind of miracle helped him throw himself up to her and press his mouth against hers.

The miko wavered, eyes shooting wide as their lips touched despite the near death state the hanyou was in. Her hands caressed his cheeks, fingers running through his hair as she felt cool relief spread through her. She swore it was a dream, when the kiss only continued with a sorrowful passion that she could hardly match.

They were alive.

They were going to make it out together.

"K-Ka...Kago...me..." He stammered her name helplessly when their mouths departed. He breathed heavily as the miko ease him back down to rest his head against her breasts like a caring mother. Inuyasha lay quietly, lips working to speak though no words escaped. He wanted to beg for her forgiveness while he still could, but nothing came.

"I-I...dreamed about you...before I even knew you." Kagome whispered, her trembling fingers tracing along the hanyou's cheek. Her words soothed him, coaxing his eyes to slip closed and his rigid body to relax. "And you know…When I watched you…when I…I…I knew it was over…I prayed to god I'd never forget who you are. You mean everything to me."

Inuyasha's eyes moved beneath the lids, searching the depth of her words, searching for something she hadn't yet said. His thumb caressed over her creamy white skin that covered her legs. His chest moved only slightly with the weak breaths that he took. His state was critical, his life fading even now as the sparkling jewels lay feet away.

"I need you…I love you. If you still love me…I…I love you, too, Inuyasha." Kagome murmured, her eyes fluttering closed as she fought away the pain that entered her voice. Her heart did a painful flip as she realized the weak words that met the hanyou's ears, fluttering his eyes open with a blank look.

His ears twitched, his amber eyes blinked as he lay motionless with the miko's fingers tracing over the purple strips along his cheeks. His lips slowly parted, features freezing in a blank look until he was sure she hadn't even said it at all.

"Say it again." He requested, firm through his weakening form.

"Say what?"

"What...what you just said...Say it again."

"No. You heard me."

"I wanna hear you say it again."

"...No."

"...Why?"

"Because I don't want to...say it again...you heard me the first time."

"Say it one more time, Kagome...please..."

"...I love you..."

It hurt for him to speak, but listening to her delicate voice soothed him. As she said it again, the words seemed even more illusive. But he forced away his own pain, his mind's protesting, and let his heart speak for the first time in his entire life.

"Kagome…I…never stopped loving you. I-…I love you, too, Kagome. I always will." He finally replied, amber eyes gently closing once more to release a weak breath. He felt like he was dying, or already dead. This had to be heaven, resting against Kagome, cold flesh or not. It felt like heaven just to touch her one last time.

A smile touched Kagome's lips, fingers trailing through the hanyou's silver hair. It felt so soft, so wonderful against her cold and stiff fingers. It was just an amazing miracle to be able to touch him after so long, when she swore the last kiss would be the last one. But the feel of his kiss still lingered on her lips, and it felt so right.

Slowly, the smile faded, mind wandering to the day before. Just a day before, so many hours and kisses ago, and the pain was still fresh.

_Silence. That horrible silence that Kagome loved and hated at the same exact time. She wanted something to break the silence, but anything than what followed. She couldn't help but lock her eyes onto the two as Inuyasha sank against her, his lips covering hers, pressing tightly, and holding her in what seemed like an everlasting kiss._

Why?

"Why? Why did you kiss her if you love me?" The miko questioned, thin brows curling inward as her fingers stopped dead in his silken hair. More than physical pain washed over her. The kiss played over and over in her mind, his words to her anything but matching it.

His silent lips frightened her, raised a horrible lump of pain into her throat. It was hard to fight down the words that she could almost hear now.

'I love her too. I didn't mean for you to find out.'

She could feel the tears forming behind her eyes, prickling them sharply until it stung to keep back the salty liquid.

"I don't know...I just...didn't think. I just thought...it would make everything better. I don't know how people feel, so I don't know how I should feel, Who I should love...I never learned...or...If I did...I forgot." Inuyasha whispered back, so slowly that it hurt Kagome just to listen, just waiting for those horrible words.

"Why?" She asked, her voice hoarse and cracking.

"I never knew someone enough." The dog demon answered, his voice just as choked. The pain that sept into her single word made him feel like walking over broken glass. Miles, he would walk just to make those tears disappear.

"Why?" She repeated.

A soft sigh broke into the air, and Kagome couldn't hold back from tickling her fingertips over his ears. Did he hear her broken voice? Could he see her broken heart? Did he care?

"I push people away, Kagome. That's just what I do. I keep people at a distance so that I won't miss them when they're gone, so they won't miss me when I'm gone. But it didn't work. It's too late now." He answered, his voice slowly regaining its strength though his body slowly weakened. Some empty part inside of him was growing larger, and pushing out the strength.

"Why? Why do you have to do that? It's so much better to regret what you've done than to regret what you haven't done. It's so much easier to just let it out before it ends…before it's too late." Kagome replied, fingers pulling away the mane of silver hair so she could gaze upon his pale features. Those blank amber eyes, those magenta streaks, those dark bags under his eyes and clammy skin. He looked like he was dead.

"You don't understand. Love is a battle. You can't win. If you fall in love, you lose. And I've already lost. I hate losing, Kagome…but I just can't help falling in love with you."

"Inuyasha..." She murmured his name, a smile forming on her lips as his soothing words chased away the remaining sadness and fear left within her. She wiped a drop of blood from his lower lip, feeling the red drips of his blood splattered on her face burn in the realization they were still there.

"Well, well...what a love triangle"

A growl ripped from the hanyou's throat his eyes snapping open as he thrust himself over Kagome as a human shield. He wasn't about to let another person lay a hand on her now that they had finally confessed their feelings for each other, driven over that bump, and poured their guts out. He wouldn't dare let it all go to waste. Fangs bared, his fingers flexed threateningly as his amber eyes rest upon the sudden speaker.

"I remember when you used to say those kinds of things to me." Kikyou muttered scornfully, eyes narrowing at the miko.

Alive.

Not her plan.

That didn't mean there still wasn't a chance to end the two lovers' lives.

..:--.--..-.-.-.--.-.-..--:..

One word...FINALLY!

Yes, this chapter took forever and I'm not entirely sure why.

So here it is, enjoy, leave lovely reviews, and please try to refrain from hitting me over the heady with anything in reach.

I need a body guard.

Oi...


	61. The Love Triangle

**Chapter 59**

A gentle glaze colored in the hanyou's slitted eyes, his gurgling growls rumbling to a sudden halt. His lips relaxed, set apart as his brows unfurled to curl upward. His fingers curled inward as his guard fell crumpled to the blood coated ground. His ears flicked softly, his nostrils flaring to take in the dead priestess' scent, just to make sure it wasn't an illusion.

The miko had really returned to him.

Kagome grasped Inuyasha's crimson splotched Yukata that barely hung to his model carved shoulders. She gently blinked away the tears that tickled at the reddened brim of her honey-brown eyes. She couldn't cry. Not now, even though the heart wrenching pain of betrayal flooded her chest, making it ache horribly. She wanted to forget, not only forgive the painfully memorable scene. It was burned into her memory like a branding. It was what Kikyou wanted all along. Now she could only hope and pray that the warmth of her lips on his would overpower the love Kikyou had once given him.

"How could you have picked such a worthless mate?" The priestess asked harshly. It was a shock to the ears for Kikyou to utter such powerfully hurtful words. She had always been careful, nearly silent, all up until now, around the anniversary her quarter demon baby should have been born.

The ticking of the time bomb inside the heartbroken miko was growing deafening in her ears. By the time the insult hit her ears, Kagome had already slipped around her new lover's protective arms and stumbling to her feet. It felt as though the skin of her wound was being assaulted by sizzling hot lava dripped on her raw skin.

"What are you doing, baka! Don't get up!" The hanyou cried out to her, words of defense for the woman he loved ridding from his tongue to shout a protest. He was too late to cast out a hand and grasp the miko's hand as she swept away. All he could do was stare helplessly at the stream of blood that stained down her right shoulder blade. The guilt nearly drown him just by glancing at all that he had done to her. How could she ever forgive him? Was she going to blame it all on him?

"Who said he was my mate? I'm only 16 and a half, ya know!" Kagome shouted to her sudden rival. It hurt beyond belief and words to just breathe. Was this the woman her love would choose over her? His baby was only barely formed in her womb. He had been inside of her, known her inside and out, and loved her all around. She just couldn't compare to the firm, beautiful, mysterious Kikyou. Dead or alive, the priestess would always win against any battle against the 'worthless mate'.

"Hm. I stand corrected. Then, why do you lay so close to him while you sleep. Why do you kiss him, tell him sweet things and look at him with that putrid sparkle in your eye?" Kikyou asked, feet sliding back a small step as the other miko stepped forward boldly.

"Because I love him." Kagome replied, fists clenching tightly at her sides. She advanced on the deceased woman, defense high. It was just a matter until it cracked under the pressure. She couldn't hold out much longer, her temper rising quick.

Kikyou laughed, long and eerie, mockingly, and just enough to snap Kagome's patience like a twig. The teen girl threw herself forward, arms outstretched threatening. She just couldn't take it anymore.

The screams echoed in his head and he knew the only way to cease them was to let go of one of the women he loved so dearly. How could he choose? Kikyou; his first love. Or Kagome; the girl who makes his world keep spinning. She was the girl who made him smile day after day and kept his heart beating his chest. Still, he could not choose. The desire he had for Kikyou still dwelled inside of him, too much to just throw away.

Stop. Everything halt. He couldn't take it anymore. The hanyou wanted everything to freeze, for life itself to be put on hold. He wanted to be the only living person to walk the Earth for just a moment. The only one who could speak or think a single thought or see a single frozen thing. He wanted the world to stop spinning for just one moment so he could tear his claws through his own skin. So he could rip out the strands of his silken silver hair. So he could cry without anyone to stare pitifully at his heaving shoulders. No one to hear his angry and sorrowful sobs. He wanted time to stop just so he could drop to his knees and scream.

But it didn't.

Kagome struck out at Kikyou, hands raised and hazel eyes flashing to the drop off of earth that they stood against. A cliff, and they were heading right for it as the miko backed the priestess up to the very edge. She didn't know what came over her. Maybe she just didn't think at all and let her heart do the talking and take complete control. As soon as it was over, she regretted it so badly.

"I hate you!" The miko screamed, her voice raw and bleeding from the sudden shout of words. Her hands jammed against Kikyou's shoulders.

An expression of sudden horror swept across the assaulted priestess' face. Maybe it was the way she felt the girl's blow ripple across her unfeeling clay body. Maybe it was how she gently stumbled back, shocked at the ground that slipped away from her when she tried to catch her balance. Her wide eyes shot down, a breath choking deep in her throat as she watched her heels dangle over the side of the jutting cliff.

All Kagome's tear blurred eyes caught was the flash of black and white as Kikyou stumbled over edge and was whisped from sight. A horrible sob sent her backwards, ramming into a tree where she sank pitifully to her knees with tears blinding her nearly completely. Suddenly, another explode of color caught her eye. Red and silver. Her mouth cracked ajar, horrified, relieved, guilty as she watched her dear hanyou grasp the pale wrist of the woman who dangled off the side of the cliff, catching her and holding her there just in the nick of time.

..:-..--..-.-.-.--.--.-.-.--..--.-.-..-.---:..

Ooooooh! Harsh, man...stares at Kikyou dangling off a cliff. Suckiness...

I know, it's really short. Sorry. I thought it would be a perfect cliffeh, though! Eh, Eh?

Anyway, I'm starting with some kind of new thing over here with my sweet reviewers, so...yeah. I picked it up from someone else and it's probably some really ig thing with several chaptered fanfics, but I haven't noticed yet. So. Yeah. Don't spoil my fun.

rika- Hm. Sorry it kinda bored you. Well. I sure hope this one didn't! Thanks, anyways.

little-miss-inu- Aw! I'll always love you, miss inu! You're always so great to me. Yes, Inu is alive but unfortunately, Kikyou is too. Sowwies!

Akina315- Oh, thanks a big relief. Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. Really, I am! It really makes my heart flip when I get good reviews.

Interruption- Errr...eep? inches away

Ookami-Inu hanyou- Oh, geez. Thanks, I'm flattered. Heh. I'll get on with it then, "jus fo yo"!

GoingGhost- Yes, then I did my job! It was SUPPOSED to move you and you were SUPPOSED to think they both died! Goody! Now for the Kikyou part...eeeemmmm...we'll see. Heh!

xcurlyinuyashax- Omg...you're so enthusiastic. I LOVE YOU! Enthusiasm over my fic ROCKS! HIGH FIVE! holds up hand Kay. I might make it a happy ending, might not. There can always be a sequal! Or mehbeh not! Only I know!

silverkonekotsukari- Good! I like it when you people cry your eyes out! It means I'm doing good in my sadistic writing! And I can't just stop! This is rated the way it is because of VIOLENCE AND ANGST...AND SADNESS. Whatever. Plus that graphic-y part at the waterfall. Inu completely lost it, and so did Kagome, if ya catch my drift.

Yasha'z Wifey Kyome- Uhhhh...NUUUUU! KAGOME IS YASHA'S WIFEY! Oh, I mean...I may just kill them off, may not. You'll just have to see! But let me assure you. Someone does die in the next few chapters. Or do they. thinks Geez, it's too late tonight. I gotta start sleeping more, reading reviews and updating less...

Raelin-Chan- AHHHHH! I LOVE YOU, YOU PILE OF GREEN GOO! Sorry. Anyway. I lube you still! My bestest rping friend, aaaand, shpank ya for the lovely review! And I'm sowwy, I'm sure your story will get plenty of wonderful reviews and hits. I mean...it's REALLY good. Hey, everyone! Read Raelin-Chan's fic! It RULES!

Cute911- Okay, Okay, geez! Here it is, then! And thank you!

Kelly- Hah! I loved your review. Anyways. You'll see. And I think you're the first person who said how cute their little love confession was. C'mon, don't tell me you people didn't like it! Kidding, I know you must have. But tank ya, Kelleh!

Alexa- It's okay, though I do love a long, rambling review, it's the point that you said you liked it and how wonderfully nice you are that counts to me. Shpank ya!

And that's all for now! Till next time! Byyyyyye!


	62. Letting You Go

Chapter 60

Chips of the weight sensitive cliff tumbled from the edges. Their hands gripped tightly at each other, holding on for dear life. It took a long moment for Kagome to realize what she had done and how Inuyasha had reacted. She waited for his screams to her as he hunched over the edge of the cliff on hands and knees, hand clutching tightly to his ex lover's pale, thin wrist.

Slumped against the tree, tears dripping down her rosy cheeks, the miko felt horrible. How could she have shoved Kikyou like that, toppled her off a cliff? What inside her snapped to make her act so devilishly? How could she have done such a cruel thing? The girl felt low, guilty, and ashamed of what she had done. How could she? How could she?

He wasn't going to let go, was he? He was going to pull her back up the side of that cliff and press his lips onto hers. She carried his child that had died along with her, fifty two years back. How could the worthless miko have thought for a second that his words were true when he said that he loved her?

Kagome felt so small, so alone and cold and unwanted as she sank against the tree. Her head slowly hung low as she stared at her cut decorated legs. So that night on the rocks meant nothing? It was just Inuyasha's lustful youkai side coming to the surface? He really didn't care, did he? And the torture she was being put through, watching her lover cling to the girl he had claimed to have gotten over. She thought it was just what she deserved for what she had done.

Inuyasha's fingers felt numb as he gripped tightly to Kikyou's wrist. Her fingers instantly curled around the hanyou's wrist as well, soft, scared breaths leaving her throat. Her other arm lay limp at her side, the strength fleeted from her almost completely now. But she held on so tight, with all she had left.

"Inuyasha…I love you." She slowly whispered, the empty hole where her heart should beat filled with fear that she didn't know she could feel. If he let go now, and she plunged down…

Kagome's eyes shot wide, her head thrusting upward to stare blankly at the figures that clutched eagerly to each other. Those words swam in her head and made her feel ill, sick, and woozy. Those were the words Inuyasha had said to her, that she had said to him. Was this evil woman trying to erase her from the face of the Earth? Why did it look like it was working?

The hanyou hesitated, amber eyes boring down into her hazel ones. Did she mean it? Why had she said it? Why was he believing her? It was that very moment in time that he stopped to think for once. This was the moment in time where he had to choose between Kikyou…or Kagome.

How could he compare the two women who lit up his life? What kind of lord above would put them through such sorrow and angst? It just wasn't fair, he thought, as his fingers tightened harshly over the priestess' cold wrist.

"I love you too, Kikyou…" He finally murmured back, his voice choking, his mind working fiercely though his words covered the confusion that dwelled inside him. He loved Kikyou…? "No…I _loved _you. I love _Kikyou."_

His mind finally seemed to burst with the pressure for a moment, the silence of the girl behind him deafening in his canine ears. The inu hanyou's heart seemed to swell with the pain of his decision. He had to pause, take in the look of defeat and hurt that swept over his ex lover's face. Yet she didn't give up.

"I _am _Kikyou…It's me…" She told him, her voice shaking as his grip started to loosen over her wrist. A soft squeal lifted from her lips and she watched his cringe pain. It hurt him to see her cry, to see her hurt or rejected, even more when it was by him. His grip tightened and she forced a tiny smile.

The miko's eyes locked securely to their hands, how dearly they clung to each other. Was it this hard to let go? Was she really nothing to compare to what Kikyou had given the hanyou so many years ago? She couldn't blame him. The schoolgirl could only sit and wait for Inuyasha to turn around and order her from his life forever. What she had done to Kikyou was unforgivable, and it was a miracle the hanyou hadn't beaten her to death for it already.

"No. I loved Kikyou. I loved the priestess who gave up her job, her innocence, her everything to me and accepted everything I gave in return. Now...you…you take and take and never give anything back. You tease me with your kisses and words, your deceive me with your eyes. I love Kikyou, but you are _not _Kikyou. Kikyou is _dead. _I…I don't know who you are anymore." Inuyasha said slowly, each word pronounced with every inch of pain that stabbed at his heart on the inside. Despite the preaching, his fingers tightened over her wrist, holding her firmly as she dangled helplessly off the edge of the cliff.

"Inuyasha! You're not telling me that you no longer love me. Did you not hear me? I love you! I don't care, we can put aside the past!" Kikyou argued. Her dull brown eyes cast to Kagome where the girl sat, eyes wide, mouth open, and tears running down her cheeks. How much pain were they going to suffer through before their lives were up, before this day was up?

Kagome stared with eyes as wide as baseballs. Was he breaking up with her? Or breaking up with the both of them? Inuyasha had always loved the deceased priestess, in her life and in her death. Why did it hurt so bad to see something she always accepted play out before her?

"I wish we could. Damn, you don't know how I wish we could. But we can't. There's just too much that neither of us can erase." Inuyasha retorted, his voice firm, though his mind struggled to decide if this was the right thing to do or not. He could remember the feel of the dead miko's lips against his and how it felt to wake up with her warm frame huddled against his side.

His eyes slipped past her tearing eyes, settling on the two marks of his fangs in the side of her neck. He tried to remember what it felt like to taste her blood as he marked her as his own. He could barely recall it. The taste of Kagome's blood was still fresh and strong on his tongue. He could taste her kiss and her tears when he the memory of his love for Kikyou was fading by the second.

"I can give you those words, Inuyasha. Those words that she couldn't give you before. She waited, hesitated. You're going to believe her over me? You've known her a year and a half, you've known me fifty two. I love you. Hear me? I love you! That wench doesn't know you like I do!"

Kagome flinched. The sharp words that trailed from the priestess' lips hit her like a slap in the face. Her eyes stung from crying and her heart was on the edge of bursting. Who did he love? Who was he going to leave after this? Who did he hate right now? It took a chunk out of her hope in her love's survival as Inuyasha hesitated to reply on the hurtful words directed towards her.

"Don't you dare talk about her like that! Look at her…I nearly killed her last night when I didn't lay a single scratch on you when that baby was conceived….and all me and her did was kiss. All you had couldn't bring out what she brought out in me with a mere touch or kiss. You can't do what she can do to me, Kikyou." The hanyou defended, his knuckles chalk white from holding to her so harshly. Everything on him ached painfully, like his entire body was caught on fire. Blood dripping into a small puddle underneath him. His fingers burned, his claws breaking the soft clay skin on the wrist of the dangled priestess. She couldn't feel the pain.

A soft silence overcame them and Kagome's heart nearly stopped beating in her chest. For a moment, the intense pain in her back and shoulder faded in numbness as he defended her. She wondered silently if she should move, leave them alone or help Kikyou back over the edge of the cliff she had shoved her over. She realized, horrible, that she didn't want to help the other miko. Kagome had saved Kikyou countless times without a single thank you or thing in return. She wasn't about to get trampled over again by the priestess' evil ways. Though she blamed herself, hated herself for being so evil as she pushed Kikyou over the cliff, she knew the woman deserved it.

"You don't get it, do you? You've wanted me to love you for so long…" Kikyou murmured, her voice turning harsh and firm. Was her end coming nearer? How many times did she had to say she loved him until he broke down with the memories he wanted so badly to remember and feel again? He looked so pale. Deadly pale, like the life had just been drained out of him as he leaned farther back, pulling Kikyou just a farther bit up the cliff.

A sudden cry of pain slipped through the hanyou's lips. His other hand shot up to touch the hole in his chest where the arrow had been. His hand instantly drenched in blood and he sank back down with his hand to the ground and his ex lover hanging fully off the cliff. He looked like he wanted to save her so badly, but his strength, in heart and muscle, wouldn't let him.

Kagome jolted forward, but only managed to drop fully to her knees several feet away from her target. She wanted to help Inuyasha, take away his pain even if it meant leaving his life forever. But with the way he had spoken, defended her… She just wanted to wrap him tightly in an embrace and stop all his bleeding and hurt. When he cringed, she cringed. She could almost feel his pain.

"Kikyou! You're the one who doesn't get it! She loves me! If you could just see the way she loves me. Kagome makes me laugh and smile. I'm not even sure if you actually loved me for who I really was. Who I am. But I do know that she does." He retorted harshly, putting the two girls in a momentary state of shock. But he paused just long enough to hunch even lower as his blood created a little pool beneath him. "That night, you told me we'd be together 'forever'. Is this the forever you were talking about? Look at us now."

"It _can _be forever…if you just hang on…don't let go of me. Don't let me fall. I'll love you forever, I promise you." Kikyou pleaded, her fingers slipping with the sweat that had started to bead the inu hanyou's entire body. He looked like he was in so much pain, his brows angled inward in pain, hurt, and anger. His face unearthly pale and his entire body shaking. The boy could have dropped dead right then and there.

Decide. Decide. The priestess was getting to him, her teary brown eyes gazing up at him so innocently. He had to convince himself that this was the woman who had possessed him and sent him off to make him kill Kagome. This was the woman who had attempted to murder the scared little schoolgirl he had vowed to protect and care for with his life. Still, those thoughts just seemed to be clouded with the love the two shared fifty two years ago.

He finally made up his mind, of who he would love.

"I don't know you. And I'll hate you…until I find a reason not to. You buy your reasoning, Kikyou…but you can't buy mine. And I'd give you my heart, Kikyou…if it didn't already belong to someone else."

A deafening silence shocked them all, tore up each and every one of the three people's souls.

Inuyasha's fingers slowly loosened, letting his hand slide up her arm as she dropped further down. He clutched her hand tightly, his amber eyes slowly closing as a saline tear slipped past his curling lashes. The pink tinge along his cheeks and nose was the only color in his face as his fingers slowly uncurled from Kikyou's.

The horrible silence of her accepting her fate would haunt the hanyou forever as the once girl of his dreams plunged down into the dark abyss below them.

..:-..-.-.-.-.-.--..-.-:..

Are my little angels happy? I know what you're thinking. Inuyasha would never do such a horrible thing like that to Kikyou. BUT. The priestess DID yell at Kagome, try to choke her, make a deal with Naraku behind their backs, help the posessed Kagome kill Inuyasha, attempt to kill Kagome through a posessed Inuyasha, and try to break Kagome down. Sure he doesn't KNOW she did all this yet, but just one of them is enough to make him turn against her. Just throwing that out there.

rika- Oh, good! No! I haven't stopped updating! And I won't stop until this thing's over! But I'm extremely flattered that this is your favorite fic! I really feel specail right now.

little-miss-inu- Aw! I missed you too. I got a bit of the block! AHHHH! But I'm okay now! And I told you Raelin's fic would be good! She's an awesome writer. I'm always incredibly amazed whenever I read something of hers. And I rp with her every day! You have a second fic? I shall go read it sometime, then! Congrats!

SweetInuLover- AWWW! Yay. More fans! Here it is, have fun!

xcurlyinuyashax- picks head up from off the floor and glues it back on Ow...Well I bet you LOVED this one, then!

GoingGhost- Yeah. Quite literally a cliff hanger, huh? Hm.

Akina315- Actually, Kagome and Kikyou are very different people. If you haven't already noticed, they aren't fighting over him. Kikyou is trying to bring him to hell and Kagome is trying to save him. She really wants Inuyasha to be happy, and if it's without her, then she'll let him go. She just doesn't want him to die because of Kikyou. Anyway. I'm glad you still liked it.

Alexa- AH! Love the long reviews as always! I know it was a short chapter, it deserved it. It was a specail part of the story. Does this one kinda make up for it? It's very choppy, I know. But Inuyasha ultimate decision needed its very own seperate chapter. Yeah, as you can see, Kagome really hates herself for it. She's always the innocent, nice type and there she goes bursting out that she hates Kikyou and then shoves her off a cliff. Ouch. It was all just a huge accident.

Yasha'z Wifey Kyome- Bet you loved this chapter too! And sure, I'll read your fic.

Wow. I'm bushed! That's all for now, though! Buh bye!


	63. Boys Don't Cry

**Chapter 61**

For one of the first times in his entire life, he let go. After all they had been through, after all he had done and felt, he broke the strict line of fate. When his fingers uncurled from Kikyou's, that had been his goodbye to her. But the goodbye didn't just hurt her, it hurt Kagome and it hurt him also. The horror of watching Kikyou plunge down still played over in the innocent miko's head, and the hanyou's heart ached remarkably.

Once upon a time, he had loved her, and she had loved him. That had changed, but Inuyasha refused to let go. That sliver of hope that was lodged within his heart just kept him on his knees at her feet. Now, he had cut loose, severing his heart in the process.

Inuyasha slumped down, fingers curling almost as if searching for the priestess' fingers still twined with his. A heavy growl ripped from his throat as he pressed his forehead to the bloody grass. It took awhile for him to raise his head again and slowly rise to his feet. The hanyou stumbled, legs weak and woozy, entire body numb. His amber eyes trembled, but made their way to Kagome where they locked eagerly.

Kagome was shivering, a blood drenched hand clutched at the fatal wound stretching over her shoulder. Kikyou's wound. She felt light headed, like she would pass into the other world any second now. Flakes of black were starting to crowd in her already blurry vision. The miko ignored it without a word as she rose slowly to her feet. Her knees slowly buckled, sending her forward and into Inuyasha's arms.

The inu hanyou looked down at her, lids hanging dangerously low. He tried to be strong, or at least look strong, but the pain sept through like water under a door. Inuyasha's head hung slowly, his silvery bangs hiding his eyes as slow tears swept down his cheeks, bathing him in the empty hole in his heart that Kikyou's loss had created.

Kagome's brows slowly curled towards each other and circled upward. She could plainly see the salty liquid that fell in thin streams down his cheeks. He was crying. He was sobbing out in the open, right in front of her, for the first time ever. And it absolutely broke her heart to watch those unhidden tears fall.

Inuyasha's arms were firm around hers, but they both seemed to sink an inch lower to the ground as their knees became weaker. Kagome had always leaned on him and used him as support. Now, it was obvious that he needed that more now than her. The miko willingly offered her shoulder for him to cry on.

Her hands fluttered up to stroke his burning cheeks. She wiped away the falling tears, but they only returned in thick sheets down his face. Kagome could feel her own honey-brown eyes starting to well up with the salty liquid. Her heart ached for him, and she could almost feel his pain. Witnessing something so horrible, something that she could have only wished for in dreams but as soon as the wish had been granted, she felt so dirty for even thinking such a thing.

"Ka…Kagome.." Inuyasha tried to speak her name. It came out choked and cracked as the miko tried to stroke away the warm tears that tickled his cheeks. It only resulted in heavy streaks of crimson blood across his features.

As the hanyou slowly began to slip away from his own sanity and happiness, the crooked stripes of magenta along the sides of his cheeks began to fade glumly. When he blinked, he felt the sting of salt, and a headache was starting to drill in his skull.

"Shhh…" Kagome tried to shush him, now wiping away the blood she had smeared over his wet cheeks. He raised his own hands to clutch hers weakly. He turned his bloodshot golden eyes to hers, his fingers giving hers a light squeeze. He couldn't manage her name, for his throat was tightened to the point where he could hardly breath. Even if he could speak, he couldn't tell her that everything would be alright because, truly, he didn't know.

"Inuyasha. Why did you let go of her? You didn't have to do that." Kagome questioned the crying hanyou, her hand gently twined with his. No. She deserved it. Inuyasha didn't even know how badly she deserved that death. The priestess had tried so desperately to tear them apart and send them to their deaths, and the inu half demon didn't even know half of it. And she didn't really care. He didn't need to know gruesome details, and she wouldn't dare clutter his mind any more with it.

Inuyasha answered by pressing his lips firmly onto the miko's. He kissed her apologetically, clawed fingers threading gently through the miko's raven tresses. He pulled back, taking in a tiny breath, and then touched his lips to hers once more. With the kisses, he was saying sorry in a million ways he could never express through words.

"Kagome…She…just isn't the girl…I used to know. Besides. I love _you._" He whispered as his lips departed from hers. For a moment they just stood their in shock, sharing each others pain and letting their love and hope rebuild itself. For just a few moments they wallowed in how wonderful it felt to kiss one another again. Do something they both thought they would never be able to do again.

The pain that rippled up and down Kagome's back and shoulder was almost too much for her to bear. She could feel Inuyasha's claws ripping through her flesh again and again until everything just became numb. The dark crimson blood coated every inch of pale skin on her hand, and stained around that hand that desperately tried to stop the heavy flow.

The hanyou could only stare hopelessly. He would willingly tear his own hear from his cheat and eat it then ever break her thin velvet skin and draw blood. If it wasn't for the way she still looked up at his with pain and love in her eyes, he would have curled up and died on the spot.

"I love you, too, Inuyash…." The miko's voice gently trailed off. Inuyasha stared, his eyes wide with tears and terror as Kagome's eyes rolled back into her head and her lashes fluttered closed. He muttered her name twice before the girl's knees buckled completely and she started to fall.

"Kagome!" He shouted her name again, his arms catching her around the waist as she sank down to the ground. "Kagome!" He called again with no response, her bloody fingers falling away from the deadly wound that could cause her a near death. Inuyasha's hand flew open the open gash, his heart sinking like a rock under the pressure and guilt as he felt her blood coat his fingers.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry." He whispered, pulling her closer against him. She felt like a rag doll so limp in his arms as he buried his face against her blood speckled neck. He sank down to his knees, his shoulders heaving endlessy. Now, he could _really _cry…because there was no one there to hear it.

**------**

Streaks of crimson and black dotted the shredded grass beneath their feet. The remainder of the Inu Tachi group had been plunged into battle for hours now and only managed to skim the chalk white skin of Naraku's new incarnation. And that was when the demon was teasing them by letting down his barrier for a split second.

"Make it a fair fight, damn you! Take down that damn barrier!" Miroku cried, having lost his nerve. One shaking hand clutched to the gash that spread across his forearm, the other hung limply at his side, clenched into a raging fist. "What pleasure do you get from an unfair fight?"

"Oh. I get plenty of pleasure just watching you perish helplessly. You're no match against me. But it's amusing to watch you try."

"Damn you!" The monk screamed again.

They hadn't managed to even really break the skin. Only a few droplets of inky black scattered the grass, from that single time. The hope of their survival was starting to thin as they all tired out. Already, Kirara's twin tails were starting to drag on the ground as she raced ahead of the injured Houshi to strike out at Sanraku. With a harsh blow, the neko was thrust back down where she lay for a moment, lips peeled back in a cringe of pain.

"Mir…Miroku." The slayer's voice cooed from behind him as a soft hand slithered up to take hold of his shoulder. "It's over. I…I don't think we can win this one."

It looked that way, as if they had already lost. They had failed one friend, and now they were failing another by not defeating this evil demon. Kagome was doomed behind that barrier, was she not? And how were the rest supposed to escape now with two of their four warriors already down.

Shippo lay, unmoving, against a tree. Sango cast him a worried look, but she knew there was nothing she could do for him at the moment. It hadn't even been that of a hard looking hit that had cast the kitsune back to the ground and unconscious. That just proved how strong this stranger was. How they couldn't escape from him.

"Don't talk like that, Sango. Of course we can…we can…" His voice trailed off as the rest of his confidence shattered. His once bright blue eyes clamped shut, his fingers tightening over the stinging and burning wound. The Houshi slowly bent his knees to let him sink down to the ground. Perhaps…he should just give up.

"Can what? You think you can defeat me? Best listen to your lover, monk. This fight has already been won." The demon scoffed.

"Houshi-sama…" Sango cooed again, her brows circled upward, the pain and tears welling in her brown eyes. A sudden anger bubbled to the surface. The chances were thinner than slim, but it just wasn't like them to give up. And she couldn't let her friends down just like that. With Kirara and Shippo down, and Miroku on the verge of breaking down, it was up to her.

The jaiji-ya bent back, swiping her boomerang shaped weapon, clutching the black strap before giving it a good heave towards the unexpecting enemy. Thin, black pupils cast to the bone carved weapon that came sailing towards him. With the raise of both his arms, extending and forming a point at the end with all his fingers, he knocked away Hairakostu as if it were a twig and reached out to crash his arm into Sango's leg, sweeping her right off her feet.

The slayer fell with a loud cry of pain as Sanraku's deadly fingers scratched against her skin, banging against the bone in her leg to buckle her knees and sent her downward. She could hear the frantic call of her lover as she collapsed, and soon felt his bloody hands clutching her shoulders as he begged to hear her say she was alright.

"I'm fine. I'm…Oh.." Sango muttered, grabbing painfully at the thickening strip of blood that seeped from the slit in her pale skin. Miroku rose his eyes to their unbeatable opponent, glaring daggers at the unbelievable creature as he maneuvered himself in front of the injured slayer. He vowed to protect her with his life, as Inuyasha had to Kagome. He wouldn't fail her like Inuyasha had. He was going to die to save her, not let himself die at her hand. No words he could ever say would express the hatred he felt for the demon right now. This battle wasn't over yet.

"Fine? Oh, well. I can fix that." The incarnation cackled, thin lips peeling back to reveal pearly white teeth. They looked like dozens of white dagger blades sprouting from his pale gums. He wasn't human…he wasn't _anything. _He was barely real at all.

A flicker of doubt and fear flooded the boy's face as Sanraku rose his pointed poles for hands. Red droplets trickled off the needle sharp end. And, for a moment, the two survivors accepted their fate as their eyes closed tightly. Sanraku chuckled at their demise. He was going to follow the plan as best he could with Kikyou's betrayal against them. The incarnation would follow his master's orders. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to. How else would he obtain the shards for his own.

Every demon sought power.

The sound of the blade-like edges of his arms sweeping through the air stung at the two's ears. They waited for the pain, the spatter of blood against the ground, but it never came. Only the sound of metal clashing with metal. The motionless lovers sat silently, the numbness starting to melt from their skin as a savior held off the demon they had thought to be their murderer.

Finally, Miroku spared a cautious blink. His lashes parted, blue eyes peeking out at the long blade that extended from pale hands that both clutched the hilt tightly. The edge pressed fast to Sanraku's hard scaled blade sided arms. His blue eyes snapped wide, trailing up and down the blur of red and silver and the shimmer of white, green, and black that draped over his shoulder in disbelief.

"Inu…Inuyasha.."

The hanyou's large blade shoved harshly against Sanraku's, sending the surprised demon backwards with an angry scowl. All of them were just too shocked to speak as one of Inuyasha's hands traveled down to rest softly on Kagome's back were she lay limply over his shoulder. The boy just wouldn't stay down, would he?

"Dammit, Miroku! I'm gone for one minute and you nearly get yourself killed?"

..:----.-..-.--.-..-.--.--.-.-..-:..

Wow. You guys must hate me by now. I took SO long to update! Wow. I'm SO sorry. I got lazy, Okay! Jesus...And a huge dose of writer's block.

Kyome- Hm. Glad you liked it. I was pretty sure a bunch of you would. For the rest of you that do like her, I'm sorry. I never much liked Kikyou and I know I kinda made her a little more evil that she would have normally been. Maybe just a little. But this just shows what extremes Kikyou will go to to get Inuyasha. But who says she's dead? O.O Kidding. She's pretty dead to me.

xcurlyinuyashax- Whooooaa...spazz attack, much? Ouch. Ooooh...sorry...I didn't update as soon as you wanted me to, did I? Sowwy. Forgive me? And I didn't get that pic. Awww! You made a pic for me? I'm sooooo flattered. And that is NOT sarcasim right there. You could send it in your next review.

Akina315- Yup! I try to go for original. Glad you liked it. I figured no one had gone to the extreme of dropping Kikyou off a cliff as how Inuyasha picks Kagome. For him, it would the big pick because if he picked one, the other would die.

Interruption- Is that a good kind of speechless, or a bad kind?

kagome'sdouble07- Hm. Are you a new reviewer? I don't remember you. Hm. Oh well, If you are, thanks for reviewing and I'm glad you liked it! And if I'm having a little amnesia, sorry, and ditto for liking it part.

rika- Hm. -sets down mallet- I won't hit you. Only if you yelled your arse off at me for killing her. Sowwy! I knew some of my reviewers/readers still liked her. Yeah. She did deserve it. Just a bit? Yeah. But thanks for still sticking with me!

GoingGhost- Yeah! It was a pretty cool line. I tried to make up some catchy sayings. You're the first one to point out one you really liked. Thanks! It was still a slight cliff hanger. Kikyou did die at the end of it didn't she? That's sorta leaving you thinking "Did you catch herself on a lower edge of the cliff that was sticking out" or something. But, nuuupe...sorry.

silverkonekotsukari- Nahhhh. Inuyasha has suffered enough. He doesn't need the guilt piled up on him that his ex lover nearly killed Kagome while he was...dead...Oi. No. And Kagome's pretty forgiving. She'll let it go.

life-as-we-know-it- Kooooooo. I'm glad I have another reviewer who likes it! Yayness! Which parts did you cry at? Fwee! That was my intention! To make people laugh and cry while reading this thing. Have I really succeeded? YAY! Okay. Lemme warn you, and all others that this thing is almost over. Does it look likes it's going to end well? You'll just have to seeee!

little-miss-inu- Awww! I lube you! You make me feel so good, like the rest of you! This is really sweet. You know what...You guys are gonna flip. Check at the very bottom of the page for my secret just to make your guys's days!

Clover715- Yup! There's just no one else like Kagome for our near Inu. I'm so happy you liked it! I really am! Greatness!

Alexa- You ruuuuule! My god! Thank you! Do you seriously think I keep them the same way in the show/manga? Now that is a REAL compliment. I love you ALL!

Inuyashangel- Whhhoooooo. Another person rejoicing over Kikyou's death. I'm happy for you. Let's all dance! -dances-

Ookami-Inu hanyou- Okay, Okay! Here's the chapter, hope you had fun reading it! Though it was slightly depressing.

iluvrvs- Shpelcome! (your welcome)

And now for the specail surprisy thingy...

Drumroll, please!

**I'M MAKING A SEQUEL!**


	64. Doomed

Summary:

After being caught lip locked with Hojou, Inuyasha finding Kagome's collection of intimate drawings, being yelled at for trying to cheer a sad soul up, and sharing a dance between a miko and a hanyou at a modern day prom, the infamous inu tachi gang has found themself lodged in the middle of an impossible battle against Naraku's new incarnation, Sanraku. Knowing they can't beat him just yet, they manage to escape with only a few injuries, one that could have cost Kagome her life. With time to heal emotional and physical wounds, Kagome comes up with the plan to stay at her realm until Sanraku wanders away from them, eventually losing their scent so they can sneak up on him and take him by surprise. Inuyasha, finally giving in, rides home with his companion where Inuyasha finds the nerve to cuddle next to the girl as she sleeps, though she has cursed him to sleep on the floor below her. As Kikyou developes a deal with Naraku and Sanraku to take down the gang and recreate the jewel, Kagome spills her feelings to Inuyasha of why she just isn't too happy at the moment. A whole week of crying and embracing, sleeping in yellow flowered feilds, taking showers together, nearly kissing on several occasions, nearly falling off the side of a building, and taking Inuyasha to school, getting payback on Hojou, and nearly getting run over by cars, the two finally return to the warring era. Though everything seems normal, they have no idea of the secret affair that had sparked between the slayer and monk after Miroku's slip up with accepting a woman's offer to bear his child. Finally, the full moon is here and Kikyou pops up out of the blue to make sure Kagome is clear that she can't save Inuyasha this time around. What does she mean? She was soon to find out after her heart is torn in two to learn that Kikyou carried Inuyasha's child in her womb the day before she died. Kagome breaks down, yells, and then makes up with Inuyasha, all to lead up to their very first kiss on their own free will. But the moon was still full, and the youkai blood took over. In the midst of their passion, Inuyasha harmed Kagome in every way he could, his nails carving into her skin as he kissed her lovingly. It was beyond his control. Morning came, and Kagome hadn't let go of life just yet despite the large amounts of her blood on Inuyasha's hands and spread over the rock where they lay. The hanyou went off to battle, leaving his companion where it was safe as he found himself kneeling at their enemies feet, bleeding and useless. Kagome broke in but it only resulted with a hand through Inuyasha's stomach as the schoolgirl was posessed by an evil Sanraku. Through the forest, Kagome chased Inuyasha until she backed him against a tree where he uttered his last words: "I love you." The arrow through his heart pronounced him dead. Kagome was released from the spell and left to greive over what she had done. But not for long as Kikyou cut in to steal the shards from around the girl's neck. The dead miko wasn't about to play along the rules. Next thing the poor miko knew, Inuyasha's claws, very much alive, were raking down her back. Somehow, all managed to survive. All but Kagome's calmness and mercy. The enraged miko shoved Kikyou over the edge of a cliff where Inuyasha caught her by the wrist in the neck of time. There, he was forced to pick between his two loves. With the uncurling of his fingers, he had chosen. Kagome. Kikyou fell to her death several feet below. Back into battle, they plunged, where the rest of their companions still fought with useless force. Things aren't looking good.

**Chapter 62**

Dimmed blue eyes scanned downward, eyeing the ever thickening crimson splotches that stretched down the hanyou's back. Puddles of thick red spilled off his firm structure, his arms raised high, the muscles filling the white, crimson splotched sleeves completely full. It took a full minute before the monk really realized that Inuyasha was standing right before him, alive and…well, alive.

"Inu…Inuyasha?" Sango stammered his name, mahogany eyes gleaming wildly up at the hanyou. Her heart thumped, and her eyes nearly welled with tears of joy. She could have sworn she had seen the boy, so lifelessly pale, fastened by an arrow to that tree. Had it all been fake? No. Telling by the round spot of dark blood on his back where the arrow must have come out the back.

With a soft, painful, grunt, Inuyasha let the limp girl slide off his shoulder. He cradled her gently in the crook of his arm, tip of his sword stabbed into the ground as he put half his weight on the thick blade. Strained breaths left the hanyou's throat as he gazed down at the pale girl, dressed in his very own haori.

Throwing his amber eyes back to the other huddling lovers, Inuyasha slid his fingers from around the hilt of his Tessuiga to swipe a ebony strand of hair from the schoolgirl's face. He turned softly, round drops of crimson blood dotting the grass as he shot an assuring grin to the shocked pair.

"Sango. Take Kagome so I can finish off this bastard." He said, thumb caressing against the sleeping girl's silken cheek.

It took a few moments for Sango to make a move to take Kagome. By the daring look in the hanyou's eye towards Miroku, he wasn't going to let the pervert hold his girl. The slayer, moved forward on her knees, entire body trembling rapidly. She gently tugged the limp girl into her own trembling embrace.

Was the girl still alive? Of course she was. Inuyasha wouldn't be so cocky and aggressively playful if she was dead. In fact, he probably wouldn't be there at all, saving them just in the nick of time. Sango stared down at her friend's blood and tear streaked features and felt tears rise into her own eyes. The miko looked so broken, torn and ragged at the edges

The other youkai was silent, slim black pupils shimmering with shock and amazement at the hanyou's survival. Had he not smelled the great loss of blood, felt that accomplishing wave of triumph was over him as Naraku's voice echoed through his ears to let him know that the great Inuyasha was dead and gone? He knew it had to have happened. The dripping crimson stain still growing across the hanyou's chest and leg was proof.

"…Now…" Inuyasha muttered, and without a single grunt or cringe of pain, lifted his massive sword high over one shoulder. "…you die…"

"You're supposed to be dead." Sanraku hissed, pearly white teeth revealed as his lips peeled back in disgust. His barrier flickered as his focus shattered momentarily. His eyes narrowed, muscles rippling and barrier back up as he let his shock subside to anger and frustration. How bothersome. The mutt was still alive.

"Sorry to disappoint." The hanyou sneered back, his own ivory fangs revealed, tinged with the red of blood. Who's blood? His own, as the liquid poured from his lips in the moment of death, or the night before when he had sank them into Kagome's tender flesh?

"You're alive." Sanraku repeated, the only thing he could manage in the midst of his confusion and anger. Inuyasha was supposed to be dead. He wasn't supposed to be here. This was supposed to go as planned. What could have gone wrong?

"Nah, shit." The shameless hanyou retorted, letting his blade rest in the ground beneath him as they chatted "friendly".

"How?" Sanraku raged.

"Was this your doing? Were you trying to kill me? Tell me now!" Inuyasha shot back, ignoring the demon's question completely.

"Foolish mutt. I'll just have to finish you off myself."

He gripped the hilt of his father's fang tighter in his bloody and callused hands. His golden eyes narrowed as he pushed all other thoughts from his mind. He couldn't think about Kagome, or about Kikyou or anything. This was _now. _His goal was to kill this incarnation, and he wasn't about to stop until he had done just that.

Inuyasha pulled back a little further, knuckles turning white as he gripped the hilt even tighter until the entire blade was blood red. He heaved the weapon forward, pure rage and hate in his eyes as he opened his mouth and screamed out: '"Windscar!"

Rushes of bright light struck out at their opponent, the loud seer of wind stinging that their ears. Inuyasha cursed inwardly as he watched the effects of his attack ride over Sanraku's hazy black barrier and finally vanish into light wisps in the air.

'Damn. I forgot he had that stupid barrier.' The failed hanyou though angrily, the tip of his blade resting stiffly in the dirt beneath his feet. His chest heaved, making him unwontedly aware of how badly his chest ached. Bolts of fire hot pain stiffened his body, but he didn't dare give in. How could he beat this guy? How was it possible to get past that barrier that his sword wasn't yet strong enough to destroy? He vowed, that if he ever got out of this battle alive, he would work endlessly to level up his blade until it could slice through _any _barrier like butter.

For now, how could he win this fight? How could he get himself and his friends out alive? Was it even possible? The hanyou's spirits started to dim, but he didn't dare give in.

"S…Sango…."

At the rasp of her name, the slayer turned her wide brown eyes to the limp body in her arms. She felt the girl tense, and then a cringe peeled away the relaxed features in her face. Kagome….she looked like she was in so much pain.

"Kagome…don't try to speak. We're going to take care of you now. You've been hurt, so don't try to move." Sango assured the pained girl, stroking a stray blood streaked ebony hair away from her eyes. The slayer cradled her friend, making sure to smile as reassuringly as she could. If Kagome, the light of all their hope, gave in…what would they have left?

"S-Sango…My…bow.." The miko stumbled over her words, blinking her hazel brown eyes around her. She saw nothing but smears of red across the grass and dirt. If she could just get a hold of that bow and a sacred arrow, maybe they wouldn't be doomed after all.

At the miko's strange request, Sango reached behind her. She fumbled her fingers across the patches of dried grass and dirt. She knew she had seen it somewhere around here. Somewhere….She felt a warm hand meet her own and her mahogany eyes shifted over to meet pure violet eyes.

"Found it." Miroku said, giving her fingers a soft squeeze before pushing the feather of an arrow and the base of a wooden bow into her palm. "We're going to get through this."

Kagome's frail little fingers wrapped around the familiar weapon as Sango brought it to her hands. The miko fumbled a little, smearing her and Inuyasha's blood over the white wisp of the feather at the end of her arrow. It took awhile before she pulled it into place and even longer to force herself through the pain to raise the bow high and aim for Sanraku.

"Too bad you didn't die with that wench. You just won't give up, will you. Impudent half breed." The youkai hissed, fingers arching into a half curled hand, claws extending outward to form a pointed pole

"What the hell'd you just call her?" Inuyasha shouted out, fists clenching tightly until his knuckles turned white. The harsh words directed towards him seemed to slip completely passed his silken silver ears, flicking angrily. Any cruel word spoken of his beloved would result in a pounding to the speaker. The hanyou was more protective of Kagome than ever.

Sanraku didn't reply, though a small smirk split apart his thin, pale, lips. His pole shaped arm extended further, the point just barely poking from the dark black haze that surrounded the mysterious demon. He seemed serious. Before, he was merely toying with the lives of the mortals and two youkai "pets". Now, the evil glint in his dark eyes told them all he was ready to kill them for good.

Kagome's fingers started to slip from the wooden edge of the bow, the sharp string biting into her other finger. She gripped it tighter and struggled to aim through her blurring and tilting vision. Just a few second she knew she would be out cold again. This strike had to count. It was the last thing they had.

The miko tugged back on string, arrow set firmly in place despite her trembling hands. Her vision wavered crazily one last time before she let the arrow loose and watched it soar through the stifling air as zip of sound and color. Seconds after, she heard the satisfying zap as the glowing arrow tip pierced Sanraku's barrier.

Inuyasha didn't waver a bit as the arrow stabbed a small hole in the barrier. His shock swirled on the inside, captivating his mind though his body took action right away. He shot forward, leaving his precious sword forgotten on the bloody ground beneath his feet. His hands shot out, ripping away the arrow to shove his hands through the hole it had created. He tugged at the edges, tearing the fault bigger and bigger. The sizzling sting of fire seared across his palms as the barrier burned at his skin. With a single growl of pain he ripped the hole open even further to send himself inside.

The hanyou's shoulder caught Sanraku in the chest, sending him backwards and out of his only protection. Inuyasha forced him to the ground, taking advantage of the shocked expression across his inhuman features. He raised a fist, sharp nails teasing cruelly at the raw skin across his palms where he had been burned. Short, powerful punches let loose on the youkai's face, one after the other, splattering blood from the hanyou's injured hands across stark white skin.

The very last thing Kagome saw before her eye lids slid closed once more was the sight of her lover pounding his bleeding fists into their enemy's face. His rage was true and ever growing with each blow he sent into Sanraku's face. So…they weren't doomed. At least not the rest of them.

Inuyasha stopped, his fist pounding and dripping with blood. The sound of rasped breaths wheezed more from the youkai's throat beneath him than his own. His amber eyes settled on Sanraku, how blood coated his entire face, his eyes sliding low and his nose bent badly. How could he have been so cruel? What had come over him?

The hanyou removed his knee from his enemy's chest and stumbled back to take hold of his sword and swing it back around, the tip pressing eagerly into Sanraku's throat. So many questions swarmed his mind. Why had Kikyou suddenly demanded his death? Why was she so cruel now? Who was the fool and why was he going after them if he wasn't under Naraku's control?

"Dammit! Tell me what's goin' on!" He demanded.

Sanraku's eyes barely opened, his lips parting weakly but only letting out pitiful wheezing breaths. How could he have let this half caste take him so off guard? It had all happened so fast, from the moment he spoke words of the hanyou's love.

"Spit it out, baka." Inuyasha demanded firmly, the point of his blade piercing into the youkai's neck. A gurgling snarl wisped from Sanraku's busted and chapped lips. It was as if his vocal cords had been damaged in the harsh pounding from the hanyou.

"N-Naraku. He wants the sh-shards. He made a deal with Kikyou to fulfill her wishes if she could fulfill his. He wanted the shards, she wanted you and your friend's deaths. He…said he would split his powers with me if I agreed to help him send you all to your deaths. If Kikyou could get Naraku the shards, Naraku would have a plan to kill you all." Finally, Sanraku's voice drowned into a soft and barely audible breathing sound. Everything pained him now. He couldn't blink without a strike of pain rippling at his eyelids.

"But Kikyou didn't give the shards to Naraku. She put then inside me to control me so I would kill Kagome." Inuyasha informed, twisting his blade to the side to glare suspiciously into the youkai's face. It sounded believable. Perhaps their plan just totally went out of line.

"Mmm…" Was the only pitiful sound their dying enemy could manage.

"I knew she wouldn't make a true deal with him. Is he stupid? Kikyou goes by her own rules, and Naraku should know that. He shoulda known she'd betray him." The hanyou pointed out. He let his sword slip away from Sanraku's neck. It didn't look like he'd be moving anytime soon anyway. "Now what?"

"Naraku still wants the restored jewel even with Kikyou out of the picture now. The jewel is nearly com…complete. And you hold the rest of the remaining shards."

Inuyasha waited, his amber eyes planted firmly on their foe, waiting for him to speak. As the hanyou's lips parted, about to shout out another demand of explanation, Sanraku's eyes slid closed and his chest finally ceased to rise and fall with weak breaths. He set his blade away from the lifeless demon, letting the sword shrink back into a blunt and rusty form.

His eyes wandered back to the miko, lightening at the sight of her blood streaked face. Her arms had fallen limp over her chest, empty bow inches below her curled fingers. Her eyes remained closed even has Inuyasha gently whispered her name. His heart seemed to stop for a short moment as he watched her there. He was captured by the sight of her so unmoving, like all the color had been completely drained from her face. The only thing he heard in the next few seconds were the heavy shouts of his companions as they fought to keep Kagome alive.

...:--.-.-..--..-.--.---.:...

Akina315- Really? You really think it was that good? That was my goal, so...thanks! And, yeah, that would be sad if she died. You just gave me an idea for this chapter! You just keep on wondering if this little girl is going to live or die. She's been through a lot already.

silverkonekotsukari- College? Dang. I feel young. Too young. Too young to be writing like this and have college people saying it's good. Geez. Well, thanks! But I still feel bad for updating so late.

Antilove006- Just keep reading!

rika- I'm so glad someone's happy that I'm making a sequel. Considering how this ends, I figured you beg me for one anyway. So...thanks!

GoingGhost- Yaya! I made sure to stick in something like that just to lighten the mood.

bluefoxfaerie- Daaaaaang! This story ain't over YET! Just a few more chapters and I'll go on and get started with a sequel. But I DO have to finish up that Spirited Away fic...

Alexa- YEESH! I don't know, you'll just have to find out if Kagome died or not! Yes, I'm doing a sequel. No, this is not the end of the story. No, Kikyou is dead for good. Okay, I'll try that, I have, actually. Check up top. And, yes, I've heard of Panic at the disco, I love them. WHOOO! That was a lot to answer to! Geez, I love you girl...

xcurlyinuyashax- You got that right. After seeing our dear Inu getting impaled through the chest a couple hundred times, I thought it'd be okay to get him hurt just a little bit more than what would kill a human. Glad you're happy about the sequel, and that link didn't work for me. EEP! But I think I found the pic. Was it the one of Inuyasha pinned to the tree and his eyes all red with all the blood. It says "He Lives", I think. If it is, I must say, it is REALLY good. Fantastic!

istinklikecheese- Niiiiice! Sorry, I'm not too fast on the updates now that school has started!

Kelly- Yup! Inuyasha is all our heros, isn't he now. I couldn't let them all be doomed to a gruesome death, now could I? Okay, maybe I could, considering what I've made them go through already, which is pretty much as bad as a gruesome death. If not, worse.

SleepInTheShadows- EEEEEEEEP! Jeepers, Sleep! -hugglesquish- I'm so glad your actually read it. I really didn't expect you to. I knew you weren't an Inuyasha fan! Thank you so much! I hope you'll continue reading. I've been trying really hard on this thing.

Kyome- I figured a lot of people would be happy about Kikyou's death. Though, truly, she's not all that bad of a person, I decided to make her have an odd role. It's still the same her, she's just been pushed over the edge by a number of things. She's just not the same anymore.

little-miss-inu-...I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU! WEEEE! -squishhuggle-

BlackParade- Aw...I think I'm in love with another reviewer...again. Heck, I'm in love with ALL of you! Yeah, I suppose we do have the same taste in music. Actually, both those lines just got stuck in there. I think I was listening to those songs while I wrote and I just saw how they fit and put them there almost like I had thought of them all by myself.

Interruption- NOOOOOO! Not yet!

life-as-we-know-it- Cuuuul! I made someone really emotional and happy with this story! That's so cute! Did that really happen?


	65. Pretty Girl

**Chapter 63**

A gentle breeze rustled the ghostly white sheets that hung down from the tight clothesline. Kagome's mother smoothed her hands over the billowing cloths before stooping to gather a few more into her thin arms. Her brown eyes, so much like the young miko's, scanned over the spotlessly white fabric with a pleased smiled. She stepped back for a moment to admire her motherly handiwork.

Suddenly, an eerie shadow cast over the pure white sheet in front of her. The woman could feel her heart shiver and the smile slowly fade from her delicate lips. She stepped forward cautiously, raising a suddenly shaking had up to unclip the sheet. As it withered down to the ground, the bundle of sheets the mother had been holding came down along with it and a choking noise caught in her throat as her wide eyes rest upon her lifeless daughter, unmoving in Inuyasha's trembling arms.

"She…She won't start breathing right. I-I don't…I don't know what to do." The frantic hanyou stammered. For the first time, he looked completely dumbstruck, like he truly didn't know what to do. He was lost, confused, traumatized and afraid. He couldn't save her this time, so he forced himself against his pride and asked for help. Anything to just see Kagome's eyes open once more and see her smile shine.

He was scared. More scared than he had ever been in his entire life. More than the first time Kagome had been injured badly, thrust against that hard rock. More than when she nearly toppled off the edge of that building. More than when he had nearly clawed her to death the night he was supposed to make her his mate, as destined by Naraku and his sick plans. He was _scared._

The smell of medicine, blood, and saline was thick in the air. Inuyasha wanted to rip his own nose from his face, just to rid himself of the stinging smells. If only it could be replaced by the heavenly smell of Strawberries and Sakura blossoms that shrouded his lover's body. But the scent was ever fading with each moment that passed by without a single breath.

People in long white coats dashed in front of the hanyou's watchful amber eyes. They crowded inside that tiny, sterile, room with the pure white walls. The whole place seemed the color of snow. Every inch was covered with it, and it just hurt Inuyasha's eyes. They settled gently on the frail form that lay motionless on the ivory bed where the doctors and nurses clustered around.

His forehead pressed lazily to the glass pane. He licked a drop of blood from his lower lip were his fangs had pierced. He hadn't even noticed how hard he had been biting his lip. Why, he wondered, did he have to stay in this stupid hallway, provided only with a glass window to watch over his love. Tiny growls worked their way up from the hanyou's throat. He hated to watch those strangers touch his Kagome, even if they were helping.

An annoying machine buzzed on end. It didn't stop, and the line that ran across it's screen wasn't helping clear his mind. When the doctor pulled out two clothes iron looking devices and pressed them to Kagome's chest, Inuyasha's ears perked. He watched a sudden jolt shake her body and a faint beep started on the monitor by her bedside. It wasn't long before the line when still again and those contraptions were placed back to the girl's chest.

The hanyou stiffened, eyes widening and jaw dropping a bit as he readied to call out for them to stop. He started to move towards the doorway but a withered hand on his arm stopped him dead. Amber eyes turned down to Kagome's grandpa as he looked up at him with teary eyes.

"No. They're helping her. They do that…when they're trying to get her heart beating again after it's stopped." The old man explained, stopping to swipe a tear from a wrinkle on his face.

It didn't lighten the hanyou's heart a bit. Her heart had stopped _beating? _He could feel tears prickling in the back of his eyes but he refused to cry again. Not in front of people. Not again. But the thought of her dying tugged the tears to the rims of his eyes and he turned away, quickly blinking the salty tears back.

"Higurashi? Are you all the Higurashi family?" A woman called out to them, stepping up behind Kagome's tear streaked mother. Inuyasha didn't even spare a golden eyed glance at the nurse as she gripped her clipboard tightly in her hands and whispered a few words to the woman who held her crying son tightly in her arms. Moments later, Grandpa and all had filed out of the hallway at the nurse's demand.

When a gentle hand rested on Inuyasha's back, he instantly jerked away. He sent a harsh glare at the little nurse that stood behind him, her face stricken with what looked like fear. She stammered a few mumbles, her blue eyes roaming over the blue bandana that was wrapped carelessly over Inuyasha's canine ears.

"I'm going to have to ask you to step away from there. The rest of your family is in the waiting room. Please wait there until we can get some news back to you on…." She hesitated a moment, glancing down at her clipboard for a name. "Kagome Higurashi."

Just as Inuyasha parted his lips to refuse, Souta and Kagome's mother waved him over. For a moment, he just stood there, his eyes clouded over with pain and confusion. A sudden wave of guilt washed over him as he watched Kagome's little brother huddle helplessly in his mother's arms. This was his fault, and he knew it. It had been his very nails that had raked through her flesh, and now her heart was no longer beating on it's own. Those gruesome looking machine beeped wildly around her, so many of those little wires jabbed into her perfect skin. It pained him to look but he couldn't keep his eyes away from where they had wandered back to his dying lover.

"Mr…" The nurse cooed softly, hesitating to touch him again. Finally, she lowered her hand and walked off, shaken.

It took awhile for Inuyasha to move away from the glass pane where he could easily watch over his love. He retreated to the pale walled waiting room where the rest of Kagome's family sat to grieve quietly. He took a seat by mama, tucking his legs in under him and staring down at the light blue carpet with unseeing golden eyes.

The minutes ticked by like hours. Sota had left the room, followed by his grandfather to go wait in the bathroom and splash water on his face. As awkward as it was to sit there with Kagome's mother, the one who had clearly seen the bloody trails of claws all over her daughter's body, the pain overpowered it.

The door finally cracked open and Inuyasha's ears flickered instantly, eyes shooting up to the doctor who stepped through the doorway. The hanyou's heart pounded and he could see Kagome's mother wringing her hands nervously beside him. Was this it? Was this man going to tell them what had become of their Kagome?

"Sir?" The gray haired doctor questioned, brown eyes glancing towards Inuyasha. He glared back without a word. What could he want now? He had already taken particles of his nails and saliva for testing. He had refused, with the help of the rest of the family, to let them take a sample of his blood. They had tried to treat his wounds, amazed at how he could possibly live through having his chest pierced deeply and having lost so much blood. He had refused them completely.

The doctor sighed and glanced down at his clipboard as the other nurse had done earlier. Inuyasha's heart nearly lept out of his chest. He needed to know what had happened- now.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" He asked firmly.

The inu half demon's eyes narrowed threateningly. They hadn't even spoken a word about that girl in the other room. They hadn't told them one damn thing and Inuyasha had to dig his fangs deeper into his bottom lip to keep from jumping up and talking some sense into that doctor with his fists.

"Why? What for?" He demanded.

"Inuyasha…right? Well. We ran some tests on Kagome and we found some…odd results." The doctor hesitated, and Inuyasha let out a low growl. "We found particles of your nails in Miss Kagome's cuts. They were everywhere, even in places she couldn't have possibly reached with her own hands. As if that wasn't enough, we found your saliva on her neck and in her mouth."

Inuyasha felt a stone hand clench tightly around his heart and his shoulders slump with a heavy weight. His lips peeled back in a sneer, revealing his pearly white fangs. His long, still blood tinged claws dug into his knees as he clenched his hands around them. How could they had found that out? How did they know it was him. But it was an accident! Just a horrible accident…

"S-So!" He barked back. "_I_ didn't do nothin' to her! Dammit!"

The hanyou turned away, jaw clenching tightly. He knew they could all see the red rims of his eyes by now. He dropped his face into his hands, covering his pained features completely. How was he supposed to explain that he really hadn't meant to?

Finally, he heard the doctor turn on his heels and exit the room. His ears relaxed, his breathing heavy and strained as he tried to keep back the tears that he didn't dare want to show in public. That would be the third time he had cried in front of people. He felt weak, useless, like the crybaby he used to be as a pup. The sound of Kagome's mama's voice didn't help soothe his thoughts.

"Inuyasha…tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"Tell me the truth. Please. I just need to know. Could Kagome be….pregnant?"

Inuyasha jolted upright, shocked amber eyes suddenly piercing questionably into the woman's. For awhile he couldn't answer, too shocked to even think for a moment. His canine ears twitched, his golden irises trembled as he played over that last word in his head. Just as Kikyou had been the day she had died. Could Kagome carry his child? Had he actually made her his mate late that night?

"W-What? I-I-! You don't honestly believe…!" He stammered, choking on his words as he struggled to find something to reply with. He couldn't. He just couldn't swallow the thought that she thought he had given those deathly wounds to her daughter as he made her his own.

"You're nail marks are all over her body! Down her back, on her legs and chest! I just want to know what has gone on in that realm of yours…" She explained, a few silent tears streaking down her rosy cheeks. She looked so much like her daughter. Inuyasha had to look away from her as she spoke.

"I never…..I never got the chance to make her my mate. No. Kagome couldn't possibly be pregnant. She still has her innocence."

The worried mother slowly turned her eyes back down to her shaking hands. She nodded solemnly, her lips never parting until the creak of the door caught both their attention. Frustrated sighs pierced the air as Souta and his grandpa stumbled out of the bathroom, their eyes red and glued to the ground.

"Inuyasha?"

The hanyou looked up at Kagome's little brother, watching quiet tears streak his face. His snow white ears drooped, a wave of cold guilt washing over him and stinging fiercely at his unattended wounds. The little boy really did mean a lot to him, even if he was just a kid, just Kagome's brother.

"What is it, kid?" He replied, his voice low and calm, on the verge of cracking with tears. His own amber eyes were starting to prickle and it was getting harder to hold it all back.

"Is Sis gonna die?" Souta asked, and Inuyasha's arms fell away from where he had crossed them over his chest. The kid let out a sharp sniffle and the hanyou's ears twitching at the sad sound. Without another thought, he opened his arms, and Souta accepted them, crawling up onto Inuyasha's chair and into his lap where he buried his red face against the half demon's bloody Yukata.

"Nah. Don't you think like that. Kagome's not gonna die. She'll be fine, you'll see…you'll see." Inuyasha replied, trying his best to comfort the little boy as his long arms closed around his fragile frame. He wasn't sure what else he could say so assure the kid that his big sister would survive when, truly, he had no clue. He had to trust her this time, her will to live. They all had to.

The sound of another opening door snapped away their attention. Red rimmed amber eyes settled on the man with the long white coat that stood in the open doorway. It was the same one from before and Inuyasha simply glared at him, wondering if he was just going to try to drag him away again to question over Kagome's odd looking injuries.

"Higurashi family?"

"Yes. Yes, that's us! How's Kagome? Is she okay?" Mama asked frantically, voice cracking gently from crying to endlessly. She tugged her son back into her own arms as Inuyasha began to growl threateningly. His heart hammered, his eyes pierced into the doctor's. Saliva formed on his tongue and he gulped it down loudly in anticipation. The seconds seemed to pass like hours now.

"Yes…about miss Kagome…" The doctor replied, his pale skin creased with elderly wrinkles. His features were grim and dark and the family could already predict the news. Inuyasha didn't dare except it.

"Spit it out, dammit!" The impatient hanyou cursed, jumping straight to his feet. He shot forward, grasping the doctor my the shoulders, shaking them violently. "What happened to her? What happened to my Kagome?" He demanded loudly.

"We…We did everything we could." The shaken man replied, his voice leveling up and down as Inuyasha shook him wildly. Suddenly, the hanyou stopped dead, his sneer fading quickly into a look of pure shock and horror. His hands unclenched from the doctor's shoulders, his amber eyes becoming blank and unresponsive. The sounds of heavy sobs behind him grew deafening in his ears, trapped beneath the blue bandana.

Dead. She was dead? Had Kagome died just down the hallway as he was forced to wait in that stuffy little room? No. He refused to believe it. Kagome wouldn't let go so easily. She was a fighter, and Inuyasha just wouldn't let that feeling sink in as he tossed the doctor quickly aside and rushed out the open door. He regarded the shouts of the man behind him as he told the hanyou not to disturb the girl. He didn't give a damn about what anyone else said anymore.

The faint sound of the doctor speaking once more to the sobbing three picked up in his ears. He only managed to catch a few whispered words. 'It's up to her'.

Inuyasha quickly bust through the pure white door, nearly knocking a thick folder from the plastic bin attached to the door. He threw aside the wooden door, and sent his eyes straight to the bed. His heart stopped dead at the side of the pure white bedspread, neatly made and untouched.

Slowly, the breath returned as his eyes scanned over the small and thin lump on the farthest side of the bed and the wisp of raven hair that stuck out from the blanket. She was still there….they hadn't taken her away from him just yet.

Silently, Inuyasha crept across the room, tear rimmed golden eyes planting firmly on the waves of ebony locks that spread over the ivory pillow. How could he have missed that before? How could he have not seen that distinct shine of his lover's tresses that he constantly longed to comb his clawed fingers through?

He peered down at her, his body going numb, every inch of his tingling with fear and sorrow. His feet felt unstable and cold as he curved around the edge of her bed to stand at her bedside. This wasn't happening.

She was pale. So deadly pale. Her skin was a pasty white, the veins on her eyelids nearly visible. Heavy purple bags dragged low under her eyes, her cheeks sunken and white as stone. Her lips were plump and cracked, bruised and dried and nearly blue. She looked ill and empty, like every drop of life and color had been drained from her pretty features and left her an empty shell. But….She looked beautiful, in a sick kind of way.

Thousands of little wires were connected to her frail and sickly thin arms. They stabbed into her flesh, running the blood of complete strangers into her needy veins, clearly visible through her alabaster skin. The machines beeped loudly, but never reached the boy's ears as he watched the world crumble at his feet. The only thing he heard was the rapid beating of his heavy heart. He'd killed her, hadn't he?

Inuyasha stared down at her, amber irises trembling faintly. Was she really gone this time? Somehow, he had trouble believing it. He wouldn't dare let it sink in, though the stinging in the back of his eyes, urging him to cry, told him that it was all real. He just couldn't believe it. Not his Kagome. Why her?

He leaned down, breaths streaming out across the lifeless looking girl's lips. She looked unreal, like a plastic mannequin, like a frozen statue. Like snow white. He could remember when she used to come back to the warring era, bursting with stories of old fairy tales of maids in glass slippers and girls in red hoods. Not to mention the one of the apple loving maiden, Snow White. The story stuck in his mind, playing over the unrealistically blissful events as he leaned down further to brush his lips over Kagome's. He recoiled at the feel of freezing skin.

Inuyasha whirled away, placing the balls of his hands against his closed eyes. Why was she so cold? Why was she so thin and motionless? It just wasn't fair, it wasn't right. His nails had been the ones to rake through her silken skin, abruptly sending her into this state. It was his fault, so why did she have to suffer?

The hanyou turned again, nails perched threatening by his face. Those wires and tubes the connected to his love were starting to get to him. What did they do? What could help her now? All they did was show how pitiful and helpless she was, how she needed a thousand little lifelines just to tie her down to her very existence. Why did it matter if she was already gone?

He lashed out at them, and with a spurt of blood and horrible smelling medicine, the wires and tubes cut instantly away from Kagome's body. The angered boy shook his nails to rid of the liquids, other hand moving up to rub his nose with an irritated expression. It smelled like death in that tiny room and he wondered, how many other people had died in here?

He breathed out, reaching out slowly to curl his sharp nailed fingers around her thin arm. He kneeled down, leaning over her to press his lips to hers again, this time, long and meaningful so that the warmth of his kiss could touch her to the core. Just like in the story. When she didn't wake up, he pulled back. No. Not like Snow White. This was for real. How could he have been so childish, so stupid.

"Don't quit! Don't you quit on me!" The hanyou suddenly shouted loudly, tears appearing at the rims of his eyes, threatening to spill over. He buried his face against the curve of the girl's body. She felt cold and limp underneath his touch. This was driving him mad, driving his pointed fangs into his bottom lip as he clenched his jaw until the taste of blood trailed down his lip. His fingers tightened over her wrist, low growls tumbling endlessly from the pit of his stomach.

His eyes shut tightly, his shoulders heaving gently as he held back the tears. His jaw clenched tightly, the doctor's fateful words running through his head like rocket ships bursting into the air. He hadn't stayed to hear the rest of the news before darting into that little room. Now he wished he hadn't. He wished he hadn't done a lot of things. He wished he had never leaned in to press his mouth to hers that night, just if it would prevent this moment from happening.

Inuyasha pulled back, bloodshot eyes scanning over the girl's pale features. It was truly amazing how she could be so beautiful in the sickest of times. The saddened hanyou swept a charcoal strand of silken hair from her pretty features. He sucked in a shaky breath, closing his eyes, and finally letting a single tear slide down his hot cheek.

"Wake up." He demanded, softly at first. "Wake up! I know you're not dead!"

The hanyou slid one knee onto the bed, softly cupping his unmoving lover's face in his hands. Her skin felt cold and unnaturally soft under his trembling fingers. He watched her so intently, eyes searching her pale face for any breath that could have passed through without him noticing.

Was that just one now?

Inuyasha stiffened, watching her honey brown eyes shift beneath her closed lids. Her curled lashes began to part to reveal bleary hazel eyes. Her lips quivered, her fingers twitched. Life. She was showing signs of life she hadn't been before. The hanyou felt his whole body go numb, the flock of wild butterflies wage a war in his stomach to get out. His heart gave a joyous, painful leap and pounded harshly against his ribs. She was _alive._

He could barely control his emotions as his love raised a weak hand to touch the salty trail that had dried on his cheek. The feel of her baby soft skin was overpowering, the sight of her chocolaty eyes. But her smell. It had been smothered with the sickening scent of medicine and blood. The hanyou nearly melted at the side of the rosiness coloring her cheeks at the sight of him. She was coming alive again, just for him.

Maybe he should have stayed behind, listened as that doctor explained to them the condition of their dearly nearly departed. But the thoughts of the past, of what should have happened or what he could have done to change it just all disappeared as Kagome parted her lips to mutter a few weak words.

"I'm cold."

Inuyasha felt his heart sink lower at the sound of her broken voice, how strained and pained it sounded just to utter two mere words. He touched her lips with his trembling fingertips, dipping slowly to kiss them softly. As he pulled back, he forced a phony smile. "I'll fix that."

He pulled back the sterile, ivory blankets, sliding into the warmth of the bed. How could she be cold? Was there something wrong? Of course. She had been so still, so sick, Inuyasha had mistaken her for dead once again. But the strain in her voice, the weakness in her frail touch told him that it was for real this time. She wasn't completely healed and she wasn't going to be completely fine. That wound had killed a woman years back. It didn't look like even the doctoring of this time could save such a gruesome wound from taking another life.

No. He wouldn't allow it. Not his precious Kagome. Inuyasha gently tugged the fragile girl against him, running his hand slowly down her back, over the scratchy fabric of bandages that wound around her entire body. He leaned over her, one hand still placed over her cheek as the other trailed back up her side and began to thread through her ebony colored hair. The silken strands came easily through his fingers despite the blood and sweat that streaked her hair.

The feel of her solid body beneath his roaming hands, his fingers in her silken hair, was just amazing. For moments on end, he thought he'd never get the chance to do that again, to lay so close or touch her beautiful hair. This was just a little piece of heaven mixed with hell as his lover lay weak and fading in his arms.

"I'm sorry." Inuyasha whispered. Those words had been struggling in the back of his throat for so long. How many times had he ever said sorry to her face, despite his pride and ego, despite his shameless ways?

"Don't be." Kagome replied in that same heart-wrenching voice that made the hanyou flinch. "You didn't think I'd…leave…you, did you?"

"Not even for a second." He said. That was a lie, and they both knew it as all emotion drained from their faces, their eyes connecting deeply.

He let his fingers fall limp in her hair, his lips dipping down cover his lips over Kagome's pale mouth. He kissed her slowly and deeply, making sure to warm her with his eager lips. If he could just take all the pain away with his kiss, he would. If he could cure every cut or gash on her goddess body, he would. If he could change the past and future, he would.

Inuyasha gently clenched the girl's shoulder as her hands circled his hips. He pressed tighter to her until he could feel her frozen skin beneath the bandages. How could she have such an effect on him when she was so frail and weak? How could she have the strength to continue to drag on that passionate kiss?

When the feel of thick, hot liquid drenched the hanyou's fingertips, he broke the everlasting kiss, daring to run his tongue over the girl's lower lip, licking away the drop of blood he had left there from the cut in his lip. He felt Kagome tense against him and her eyes searched him to find out what had happened. She couldn't help but wonder if she had done anything wrong, touched him the wrong way. The look on his handsome features stung her already bleeding heart.

Inuyasha froze as his amber eyes met the crimson color of blood on his hands. Perhaps he had squeezed her shoulder a little too hard, forcing the blood to stain through the bandages. Just the sight of it weakened him. He couldn't be so rough. He had to treat her as if she were a thin sheet of gold as he leaned low and pressed his lips onto the rough bandages that covered her shoulder.

The sound of footsteps pricked in their ears, alerting the two lovers of Kagome's family looking in on them. Inuyasha didn't stop for a second as his gentle kisses trailed slowly up the miko's neck and back down across her shoulder. He could feel Kagome limp under his lips, her hands griping gently at his shoulders.

"What are you doing?" She asked, her voice barely audible over the soft mumbling whispers outside the door. Inuyasha picked out one of them as Kagome's mother's. He simply smiled in reply to her, raising his face level to hers were he plucked a few sweet kisses on her lips. He was pleased to feel the warmth as he did so.

"If you kiss a cut…it'll heal faster." He replied, basking in the warmth of her smile. They melted slowly against each other, their mouths pressing gently together in another blissful kiss. The hanyou shivered at her touch as she ran her fingers through his hair. She touched him, and it felt like coming home.

...-.-..-.-.-.-.-.-.-----..-...

GoingGhost-FWEEEEEE-yay! huggle

little-miss-inu- Geez? You're in college, too? My, my...I feel so young now. Ah, well. As long as you guy still like and read my work!

bluefoxfaerie- Yeah! Neither did I! It just kept rolling on and on...and on and on. Geez. That's why I have to break it off into a sequel, which shall come out not long after this one ends! But we gotta wait awhile, just to get you hyped up and stuff, right? Eager and just on the edge of your seat, waiting to see the new addition!

Alexa- Haha! Yeah, well, I like your long reviews anyway! Some people can get their wonderful points through in one sentence, but it's always a joy just to keep reading and smiling. For me, at least. Kagome? Die? Hmmm... Trusting that you've already read this chapter...Well, I think you'll just have to wait and see, huh!

Akina315- Sploosh! Yaya! Thank you, you're too kind. Yup, Sanraku, that dirty beast, is finally dead. So, he's not a bad madeup? Usually, I don't read fics with madeup characters just because a lot of people just stick them in there and it kinda ruins the whole story. But, I just wanted to make this plot work and it just wouldn't if the enemy was Naraku himself.

Hanako Horigome- A good wow? That was a suggest from...who was it? little-miss-inu? Geez, I forgot. Argh. Well, yeah. So you read it all already? Coolio! I'm trusting you liked it? Oh, and, yeah...Kagome should be...but you know her, she's quick to get over things like that. Though this was a bit much.

Antilove006- Pshhhhhhhshshshshshhh! It's all because of Inuyasha's lack of...being able to tell if she's alive or not. I mean, this is the second or third time...come on...

rika- ...-watches fade-...should I be scared? Well. I hope you liked this one! It would have been better...but...well, I wrote three whole pages of pure gold and then my microsoft word crashed! JEEPERS! So, it's never gonna be as good as the first.

im a retard- ...Eeeeerrrrmmmmm...-points to Kagome and Inuyasha making out in a hospital bed-...I think it went right there...

BlackParade- Cuuuuuu! Inside joke? ...I wanna hear... -shifty eyes-

xcurlyinuyashax- Really? Anther picture? AWWW! FO MEH? -is happy- I love it when people draw things for me. I lobe you! Oh! This isn't the last chapter...the next one is -sniffle- Hold on...announcment time.

**THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE THE VERY LAST CHAPTER OF THIS FANFICTION! AWWWWWWW!**


	66. Back to Black

**Chapter 64**

The feel of her lips had nearly faded from his memory now. Her kisses were distant, like a far off memory though every day he tried to pry it back to the surface. He had held so tight, but it had slipped right through his hands. Just like a slippery bar of soap at the young miko's house, when she had forced him to take showers. Ah, those memories. Even those were slowly starting to fade. Sometimes…he dreamed of her, but he knew it would never be that way again. Never again would he be able to feel the gentle pressure or heat of her lips on his. No more, would she sink slowly into his arms, kissing his neck with such a passion that could send the both of them into a daze. Never again would he hear her whisper those sweet, sweet words….

Inuyasha sighed heavily, amber eyes casting slowly down to the dizzying sky blue and white checkered sheet that was spread beneath him. His pointed fingertips trailed over a blue square, outlining it solemnly. The happy voices of Miroku and Sango sounded beside him, but he could barely hear them at all anymore as his thoughts clogged his drooping dog ears.

He missed her kisses. He missed everything about her that she had gained confidence to do after that slow night in the water. He missed holding her close, kissing her, telling her that he loved her. Why did the world have to be so cruel? Why was this so hard?

It was like quitting smoking.

"Inuyasha!"

The call of his name in a light voice snapped the hanyou from his thoughts. Wide golden eyes lifted quickly to meet solid brown. He glared slightly, crossing his arms forcefully and taking in a short, grumpy breath.

"You could smile once in awhile, you know!"

"Feh. Whatever, Kagome. Isn't the ramen done by now?" He shot back, sneaking in a quick whiff of the air. Kami, the smell was heavenly whenever she came around.

Kagome smiled sweetly, shaking her head a little. "It's almost done." She offered to him, taking another glance at the steaming Styrofoam cup of noodles. She twisted around on her knees to watch the water boil slowly before she finally plucked the ramen from the little bars over the fire she had built.

"Done." She stated, setting the hot cup in front of Inuyasha with a confident grin. As she pulled her hands away from the burning hot cup, she felt her fingers brush with his. Her heart gave a quick flutter, her cheeks flushing suddenly. It felt so wonderful…but it was forbidden.

It was a week since she had gotten out of that little hospital. For awhile, she had thought she never would. The long gashes down her arms and legs, stomach and chest all healed beautifully. Then there were the scars. The rips across her shoulder reminded her each day of how she had planted that sharp arrow through her once-lover's chest. Then there were the long scars down her back, though barely visible, would forever haunt her of the painful, yet passionate night so long ago.

It was only a few days since the two's painful decision. Inuyasha had led her deep into the forest where no ears could here them and no eyes could see them. Once there, he held her tight, rough kisses holding them completely silent. His fingers felt too wonderful threading through her hair, his lips pushing against hers. But they knew this had to be the last time. Ever. Sooner or later, the youkai would find them, and use their obvious love against them. If anyone at all found out about their affair, one of them would be captured and used as bait. They all knew it. They all had to hold back their feelings now, as if everything was just the same as the yesterday of so many days ago, before their love had been confessed.

'We can't do this anymore…' She had said, watching Inuyasha nod solemnly. He kissed her again, just for good time's sake. Then another and another followed until it became clear how hard this would be. 'We can't let them find out, we have to stop.' She repeated. He nodded. They kissed.

'I love you', He had whispered, and she had whispered it back to him. How could they ever pull this off?

But it was days later, and not once had either pair kissed each other. Their lips were addictive, and that kind of habit was so hard to break. They all seemed duller, quieter, unhappier. It would take time to mosey back to their old ways. Miroku's womanizing, Sango's slapping, Kagome's sitting, and Inuyasha's bickering and angry moods.

The hanyou quickly swiped up the cup of ramen, the little trails of steam finally vanishing into the air. He simply stared down at it, the thoughts that had been swirling in his mind had killed his appetite. But how could he simply toss away something Kagome had spent time into making for him? He had done it before, but now it seemed so…cruel.

"Hold on…" Kagome's voice suddenly cut Inuyasha's attention back to her. "I have something to give you."

The sneaky smile over the girl's delicate lips was unnerving. He could feel his entire body give a curious shudder as the girl reached back behind her. Miroku and Sango had stopped their little conversation to watch Kagome intently as she searched for something behind her rather secretly. When Inuyasha set down his cup of ramen and craned his neck to try to sneak a peek over her shoulder, she snapped back around in a rush.

"Close your eyes." She demanded, placing her empty hands back in her lap with a smile.

"What? No way!" The hanyou refused, glancing towards his other two companions for support. When he received four other devilish stares from each of the other Inu tachi members, he turned back in a heavy grump. "What for?"

"Just do it, Inuyasha! Come on, you're no fun!" She replied, sneaking a playful glance at the rest of the group. Of course they backed her up, just as curious to what she was up to as Inuyasha was. "Just close your eyes."

"Do it, Inuyasha!" Shippo piped from where he was settled in front of a heaping plate of homemade Oden. He stuffed a greedy hand into the pile, filling his little mouth as he urged on the hanyou to do as Kagome said.

He drew in a heavy breath out of pure frustration. What was she up to now with that mischievous smile, that sneaky laughter passing her lips? His pride told him to hold his head high and continue on refusing. Kagome had no control over him now. He could do whatever he pleased! But somehow, with a mean glare towards the rest of the pack and then back to the girl, he let his lids slide closed and the curiosity take over.

The silence was deafening, suspense accumulating in his stomach, forming a hard lump in his throat. What was that rustling sound and clicking of polished stone? This wasn't going to be good, he just knew it. But perhaps…it wouldn't be so bad. He had no way of knowing as one of those strong urges rushed over him. His hands clenched, every muscle becoming tight as the cold air stung his lips. Just one more. It didn't even have to be that long. Just one more kiss.

Kagome watched him with amusement, clutching something tightly in her thin hands. The way his brows furrowed and his hands clenched made a pang of guilt stab her in the side. She could remember kissing him no more than a week or so ago. His lips were addictive…how was she ever going to stop that heavy craving. It was hard enough to keep her mouth away from his as she leaned forward.

One….two…three. Inuyasha breathed out slowly, trying so hard to calm himself, that throbbing in the pit of his stomach. His fingers twitched and he felt the precious warmth of Kagome's bare leg. He pulled away, a blush crawling over his cheeks. Just wait. Just be quiet and wait for what she had for him…

Oh the suspense. It was killing the hanyou, his heart beginning to beat out of control. His heart nearly leaped straight out of his chest when the feeling of warm flesh brushed his shoulders. Her fingers tickled at the tips of his silvery ears. He flicked them in annoyance. Finally, something heavy dropped around his neck.

"WHAT THE HELL?"

Inuyasha's eyes shot wide open, his clawed hands rushing up to grasp the cold beads wound around his neck. His jaw dropped in pure shock as he tugged wildly at the purple rosary that had been returned to him. Yank and pull and growl as he would, the necklace would not lift over his neck. Why? Why would Kagome do such a….

Oh, but the innocent look on her face. How could he be angry when deep inside, something had missed being attached to her by the subduing beads. He had felt empty without that gentle weight of it around his neck, without that tiny fear of being 'sat' that kept him from shouting out things that he really didn't mean. It kept him in line, kept them all laughing, no matter the pain or annoyance.

…It wasn't so bad…

Kagome's eyes sparkled as she laughed gently, the laughter of their other companions joining in behind them. Everything else seemed to melt away but the sound of the miko's sweet laughter, the smile on her delicate lips, the blush on her soft cheeks. This was love…and he wasn't even aloud to show it. Slowly, a smile spread onto Inuyasha's face, bright amber eyes casting down as his own laughter added to the chorus.

So was that it? Was it over? What of it now that those words had been shared and those lips had touched? It would be so much easier to forget about it, but so much harder at the same time. From time to time, they knew they wouldn't be able to control it, the urge to kiss the ones they loved and say it just one last time before they straightened up again to continue their journey. They knew what it would do the moment the two pairs set their lips upon their partners. They knew, but they didn't care. But that front was gone now. Now they knew what could happen if the fact of their love fell into the wrong hands. It would be held against them, as it was, faked, when the Thunder Brothers attacked. It even looked as though everything was back to normal. Inuyasha's cursing and bickering with Kagome had returned, though perhaps a bit less intense, as if they were just fighting to show the world they weren't in love, when they really still were. And so it did look as though nothing had changed. As if those kisses were never shared. As if those words were spared. It looked all the same as before, only because it _was_ the same as before. All along, those feelings were there, they just didn't know it. And even though they realized, even though their eyes had been opened, nothing seemed to be changing. Back to black, to the darkness of confusion, wondering how the other felt about each other. They couldn't allow it to change, for the sake of all their lives and the ongoing journey they still needed to complete. But they wouldn't forget. Not one of the members of the Inu Tachi gang would forget what had happened. And even if it looked as if nothing had changed, nothing was the same anymore…they just didn't quite know it yet. But there was one thing they all knew, even from the very beginning: He was her hero. She was his destiny.

**...:-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..--.-.-.-..--.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.--.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.:...**

Kyome- Yes, yes! I know I'm so mean to her! Still, don't think I'm all nice and dandy, though. She could still die...ya never know what I might throw at ya!

Antilove006- I...I, what? I, WHAT! YOU LEFT ME HANGING!

Alexa- Awww! Well...I must say...I may disappoint you just a little. I don't know when the sequel will be coming but it will be on this account and hopefully sometime soon! I'm afraid, since I left this one with such a...semi cliffy...semi not...I will have to skip SOME time. I mean...common. But, yeah. I think you'll like what I had in store for you!

angelqt1231- PEEHEE! Well, yeah. I'm making a sequel, as you probably already know. I think I'm even making a few more Inuyasha stories!

Akina315- Go ahead and cry! I love it when my story is so good that it makes people cry. LUFFLY!

kaginufan88- Whooooaa! Okay, then! I shall do that! I'm glad you liked those parts. What's a good story without your favorites characters dying about...5 times...and then coming back. Eh? O.O' But, yeah, Naraku is a bit shmexay when he isn't...furry...

Lindsay- Yup! I think if I had waited any longer I would have gotten a giant katana through my head! Jeepers! Aight. thumbs up

BlackParade- H-Happy Noodle Boy? That's about all I have to say to that... O.O'

GoingGhost- My god, I love you. I thought I needed to add a little Inu being a big brother moment. And, yeah, that has to be the first time Inu has given up and actually asked for help. Poor dude. He sure hurt his ego that time.

Hanako Horigome- It's my job to spoil you with my fluffly fanfiction goodness! I'm pretty sad about it ending, too! Good thing I'm making another!

life-as-we-know-it- Me? Pshaaw! Shpank ya!

Inuyashangel- FLATTERING! Thank you!

silverkonekotsukari- Dude...Inuyasha got freaky in quite a few places with quite a few girls! He's pretty naughty. I think he's had more sneakah sneakah inbetween da cheekah than Miroku has! And how do you know I wouldn't kill her! Furgin'...

rika- Yeah, it does! And it means alot since...heh...I'm an 8th grader as well... Shocking, huh?

xcurlyinuyashax- DUUUUDE! I keep checking out your comics and those are FUNNEH! I love 'em. Anyway, I'm kinda busy with school and junk so, when I get the time, I'll definitely review for one of your fics! But ya know I love ya too kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss

Inumeblue- I'm so glad! Thanks for reading!

DarknessLight combined- Eeerrrr...Yeah, I noticed that. It got confusing after awhile since there are so many ways to spell it so I just gave up and called it his father's fang and junk. But, yeah. I was just too lazy to go back and edit it.

Karate-Chick06- FWEE! Aw is very good!

XxpockyxXobsessionsXx- Believe it? Heh. Well I know SOMEBODY who watches Naruto!

Kelly- Assume as you may, though I'm an evil little girl!

TamerofDragons- Well...I must stop now...because... -sniff-...it tis over...

-sniff sniff- So...it's over. Yes, this is the very end of the famous 'Running In Circles Without You'. It has be a long and harsh journey of tears, laughter, and horror. Forgive meh if this is a sucky ending...but just remember that there WILL be a sequel! I don't know when, or how it will go...but there shall be one! So...farewell my beautiful and loving reviewers! This concludes the first installment of Crimson Beauty's Inuyasha and Kagome saga! Until next time...-poofeh-


	67. VOTE

**Ooooookay, folks! I know you've been waiting a sad, dripping, horrible anticipation for the fluff packed sequel of the supposidly famous "Running In Circles Without You"!**

**I've just finished the first chapter of the sequel. So...YAAAAAAAAAAAY! -cheers- But it's only been about 17 days since I finished the last! That's not long at all, is it? I dunno what to do. I want to post up the luffable sequel, because I'm such a softy, but I wanted to keep you guys at the edge of your seats, itching and checking back every day to see if I've updated with the sequel. If I update it now, It'll seem like just reading another chapter, right? Welll...**

**Who says I put up the sequel now?**

**VOTE, MY DEAR REVIEWERS, VOTE!**

**Don't put it up, or put it up?**


	68. ATTENTION!

**ATTENTION, ATTENTION!**

**I HAVE JUST POSTED UP THE SEQUEL TO THIS STORY. IT IS CALLED "Passionate Temptations"**

...**And with good reason.**

**Let's all cry and scream and celebrate...and then go READ IT!**


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